Stupidity Killed the Cat
by greekfreak302
Summary: "Curiosity didn't kill the cat. Stupidity did. Curiosity was framed." It all started with curiosity. Jason didn't mean to find it. But it changed his life in more ways than he can imagine, good and bad.****ON HIATUS*****
1. Prologue

"Jason, dear, would you mind cleaning out the attic after lunch?" He was about to protest when Juno spoke again. "I've just gotten my nails done and I don't want them ruined." she showed him her new manicure. It looked more like daggers than nails to him.

"And besides," she sat down next to him at the table, sighing and dramatically putting her hand to her head. "The smell of nail polish makes me awfully nauseous. I think I'll lie down for a while."

Jason nodded, uninterested in Juno's excuses. He was taught to obey order. And if he didn't listen...he shuddered just thinking about it.

* * *

And so Jason spent the rest of the day moving junk out from the attic, mostly throwing things away before even looking in it.

Several times he'd encountered spider webs, and finally he'd found a giant spider nesting underneath an old wooden desk. Without hesitation he'd grabbed a lighter, a metal tin, and set the creatures on fire.

Finally taking a break, Jason sat beneath the small triangular window, his breathing heavy. he started thinking of ways of revenge on Juno when something caught his eye. A thick envelope was wedged between a wooden chest and an old record player. Tentatively, he picked it up and surveyed the object. On the outside, written in neat handwriting, was his name.

'To my dearest Jason Grace.'

That's not Juno's handwriting, or anyone else he knew. The envelope looked old, as if it'd been written a long time ago

"Tsk-tsk-tsk," Jason turned quickly, hiding the envelope behind his back, his heart beating rapidly.

"Already neglecting your work? It's been only three hours." Jason bit his lip so he wouldn't go mouthing off. It was way past three hours; almost seven, actually.

"Go wash up; it's almost dinner time." without waiting for response, she turned and climbed down the ladder leading into the attic.

He didn't know why, but he felt as if Juno shouldn't know he found this. It was a secret. His secret. He still had no clue what it was, but he was going to find out.

* * *

_Jason looked around, confused. He was in some sort of garden, the sun beating down on him._

_A woman held his shoulder tightly, kneeling before him. Her lemony scent felt so familiar, as if it were a forgotten memory. Her features were watery and indistinct, but he could make out blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Her voice was familiar:bright and brittle._

_The memory of this woman was within an arm's length, but Jason was unable to grasp at it. Every time he concentrated on her face, everything disappeared like she wasn't really there; like it was a figment of his imagination._

_Soon he realized that she was crying, hugging him tightly. He couldn't speak, couldn't comfort this lady. Through her sobs, she spoke. "I will see you soon, dearest." In the distance, Jason could hear someone-a girl- yelling his name, sounding heartbroken._

Jason bolted upright, his breathing so rigid, he could hardly breathe. Jason had never had a dream as realistic as that one. Maybe it really was a memory.

It didn't take long for two ends to meet in his head. Quickly shoving off his covers, Jason grabbed a shirt and exited his room as quiet as possible.

* * *

_Creeeekkkkkk_

Jason winced and quickly looked to see if anyone had heard. No one was in the hallway. He pulled himself up as fast as possible. There was a series of creeks, clicks, and clangs from the old ladder, but it didn't matter. Within a second, Jason was in the dark attic all alone.

He let his eyes adjust before crawling to the middle of the old storage space. A weak beam of moonlight flitted in through the window, casting eerie shadows across the walls. He shuddered.

Remembering the purpose he had gone up here in the first place, Jason pulled up the floorboard. In a rush, he'd pulled a potting piece of wood from the floor, and shoved the envelope in the small space. It was now dusty and crumpled, but Jason couldn't care less. Ripping it open quickly, Jason pulled out several papers. The first one was a light blue paper. He scooted closer to the window so he could read it better.

It was his birth certificate. It said his name, and all that informational stuff from when he was born. Jason shook his head. His birth certificate was hung in the Living room, encased in a golden picture frame. Almost immediately he noticed the differences.

The top of the paper said, 'New York', not 'California'. So he wasn't born here, in California? They had lied to him? But why?

Jason continued comparing birth certificates. No where was Juno Grace's name anywhere on that sheet of paper. Jason's eyes welled with tears. Instead, the name Beryl Grace was written, along with a signature underneath. 'Father:' was left blank.

'Siblings: Thalia Grace.'

So he had a sister, and a mother that he hadn't known about. Zeke wasn't even his father. Jason had had his suspicions about Juno, what with the black hair and no comparison to him or his personality whatsoever.

He quickly crumpled the paper and balled his hands into fists. He was beyond angry, beyond feeling betrayed.

All his anger dissipated when he saw what had also been in the envelope. In his haste, he had ripped it but he could see a girl. She was no more than his age- nine- and grinned at someone. He put the pieces together.

She was grinning at a blonde haired baby boy about the age of two, seemingly unaware of the camera. He could see her face, but he could see she had pale skin and long back unkempt hair. Despite the bright background of a sunny day, she wore black jeans and a leather jacket. The back was a little note written in the right hand corner. '_The last time she saw you_'

Through blurry vision, he picked up the neatly written letter. It smelled like lemons.

'_My dearest Jason,_

_So little time to explain so much. I'm sorry it had to be this way. Thalia hates me, you're gone, I've got no family, and my career, as long as my naive dreams, have been crushed._

_But i just wanted you to know that letting you go was probably the hardest thing I've had to do. After Zeus left me with nothing but a baby girl in my arms, taking my pride with him, I thought my world was over. Then you came along._

_I thought you'd be my chance to start over. Apparently I was wrong_.'

The letter was stained was tears. That's when Jason lost it. He started bawling, clutching the paper. He knew he was being a wimp, but it felt as if his whole world had been pulled from right underneath him and he'd been slapped by reality.

He forced himself to continue reading.

'_Issues were just bound to happen. After attracting the attention of Zeus Olympia, my pride gave me a big head. But after attracting two major faces in business, i thought i was invincible._

_It was only after the fact i was pregnant when Juno, your father's wife, hunted me down. She's a very powerful woman- do not get on her hit list. Slowly but surely she ruined my life. First, my career. Then, creating issues between Thalia and I. Finally came the threats._

_Two years...not nearly enough time. But finally the deadline arrived. It was for your well-being. You must think i am a monster, selling a child away, but it was the only thing i could do._

_He was getting impatient, and she could not provide. In her eyes, this was an opportunity._

_It just breaks my heart to see Thalia running around the apartment in tears, crying out your name._

_I am so sorry. One day, My dearest._

_Beryl_'

Jason was stunned. It wasn't nearly enough answers. He didn't know what to do. Either way, he made a silent vow to himself that he would search for Beryl Grace. Maybe Thalia, too.

He heard someone chuckle behind him "Oh, Jason, dear," she purred. "Hadn't anyone told you curiosity killed the cat?"

* * *

**(A/N) Dunn Dun Duuunnn! Hey guys! This is my first fanfic, so please go easy on me. Please Rate and review! Give me your opinions.**

**This isn't a mystery story, fyi. The title might make it seem so, but...it's kind of a romance story written by an amateur.**


	2. Welcome to the Big Apple

**.Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

"Dude."

Jason's eyes flew open. They scanned the bustling crowd in front of him, searching for the source of the noise. He heard a snicker. "You're supposed to _wear_ the coat, not lay on it," he said it in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were a genius.

Finally, Jason found the sea green eyes staring curiously at him. The boy couldn't have been more than 19 years old, with messy raven hair falling into his eyes. He poked Jason with the tip of his sneaker.

"Unless you're homeless. But how did you manage to sneak into an airport, then? Unless..." he had a thoughtful look on his face as he mulled over the possibilities. Then his face went blank, and he face palmed. "I'm sorry. My ADHD gets in the way sometimes."

Jason nodded. The halls were empty, save for a few tourists wandering around, unsure where to go. The clock read 2:53 a.m.

"I'm Percy." Jason once again nodded absentmindedly. Then he realized that this guy was expecting him to say his name, too. "Oh, um, I'm Jason." He saw that this guy was leaning on a blue suitcase, sitting on another. "Well, Jason, I can tell you're not from here. Any true New Yorker would be worried that they might get robbed at 3 a.m. in the morning. California, maybe? Something gives off a surfer vibe about you."

Jason smiled. "Um, no, I'm not a surfer. But I am from Cali. And I barely have to worry about luggage because the airport lost most of mine." He held up all he had left, a black duffel bag.

"Are you visiting?"

Jason shook his head. "I have absolutely nowhere to go, but I am absolutely not going back home. I'd rather die on the dirty streets of New York." Percy nodded, and understanding look settling on his face.

"I'm going to jump to conclusions and assume you're from New York." Percy nodded. "Where'd you come back from?"

"Athens, Greece," he answered. "Visiting...relatives. Anyways, what was your plan once you actually _got_ to New York?" Jason paused. He hadn't thought about it that far. He'd managed to steal about $500 from Juno before leaving. It seemed to be enough money to stay in a hotel for a while. Percy read Jason's expression. "Dude. you are aware that hotels in Manhattan cost like, a fortune?"

Jason's face fell. He'd been there for the past three days, trying to find out what his game plan was. Nothing came to him. It was a matter of time before they kick him out. He'd been going to the bathroom or some store within the airport and return several minutes late, pretending to be upset about his flight. He knew the flight attendants were beginning to get a little skeptical.

Percy nudged him. "Worry not," he grinned. "You can crash at my place until you get back on your feet."

Jason smiled so wide his mouth started hurting. There was this stranger, being incredibly nice to him, and he had nothing to offer. It made his smile waver, but Percy didn't seem to notice.

* * *

"So, what made you decide to move into the Big Apple?"

Jason shrugged. They had squeezed themselves between a horde of people entering the bus, and the driver had yet to notice. "I'm looking for someone."

Percy grinned. "Trying to sound mysterious? Care to elabora-"

"Hey! You two hooligans!" The driver pointed at them through the rearview mirror. "You boys didn't pay!" Percy had an exasperated expression, as if he experienced this daily. For all Jason knew, he probably did. Percy turned to the driver. "Do you _mind_? I am trying to have an important conversation with my friend here." he gestured to Jason. "How do you know we didn't pay? Judging from your age, you could've forgotten. Please mind your business and drive the damn bus instead of worrying about other passengers. After all, you're not being paid by the amount of money you get from us, are you? Didn't think so." He turned back to Jason, leaving the driver speechless.

"Dude," was all Jason could manage to say. Percy gave him a sly grin. "I have experience with New Yorkers."

"Anyways, who're you looking for?"

"My mom. Or my sister. I've never met them, but I think they live here," he answered. "You've never met them? You do realize how big New York is? And it's population?" Jason shrugged in response. "It's the only lead I've got to finding them. And, as I've clarified before, I'm not going back to San Francisco. And i'm not leaving 'til I find them."

* * *

"Golden blonde hair, electric blue eyes, tanned, 6 ft 1 inch, athletic build. I assume you surf?"

Percy grinned and set his stuff down by the door. Jason dd the same. "This is my girlfriend Annabeth," He gave her a kiss long enough to make Jason feel awkward. He coughed and looked away, pretending to take an interest in his shoes. He heard Annabeth laugh. "You can look up, Jason," Annabeth said, beckoning him over. Reluctantly, he stood awkwardly in front of her as she studied him. Finally, she shook her head at Percy. "You just love to pick up strays, don't you?"

He shrugged. Annabeth, noticing Jason's confused look, answered his forming questions. "Percy's just a big softie at heart," despite his protests, she poked him n the stomach. "He's always picks up strangers. From animals to people; mostly dogs." She put her fingers to her lips and blew a sharp whistle.

A giant black mastiff came bounding down the stairs, and jumped onto the couch, putting it's head on Annabeth's lap. "This is Mrs. O'Leary."

Annabeth gently shoved Mrs. O'Leary off of her and stood up, dusting her pajamas off. "I'm going to bed. I have work in the morning." Percy frowned, nuzzling Annabeth's neck. "But I thought I'd get to...celebrate with you tonight."

Jason felt extremely awkward, while Annabeth just blushed. "Good night, Seaweed brain," She started walking away. She nodded to Jason.

* * *

Jason spent most of the night, unable to fall asleep, in the window sill, staring at the Manhattan sky line. For miles and miles, all he could see was lights. Not a star in sight. All Jason could think about was the letter. It was stained, crumpled, and torn beyond recognition. It didn't really matter; he'd memorized it a long time ago. Nine years; how long he'd known the truth.

Juno had thought she had Jason wrapped around her bony little finger. Whenever asked, she'd blatantly lie. Or she'd just brainwash him. He was sick of her lies, sick of her thinking he was some stupid little kid.

That explained Juno's surprise when he told her he wasn't going to college, and how he was going to New York. He smiled when he remembered the full-blown argument he'd had with her about college. About an hour later, he'd just shook his head and left without answering. She had assumed that she won. She was wrong. Jason was 18 now; she was no longer his legal guardian, and she'd stopped being his mother the moment he found out what she did.

But now that he was actually in New York, it seemed like just a stupid little ambitious dream. The reality of the situation had finally caught up to him. He had no idea what she looked like, no idea where he's supposed to look, and no idea what Beryl would be like when she met him. Since he was 9, he'd acted like a naïve little girl, dreaming about reuniting with his family.

He'd bet one thousand dollars that he doesn't know half of the story. Jason was an adult now; he didn't need a family. But it felt as if New York was calling him, and the curiosity got the better of him.

Now that he was in New York, he felt completely lost. Jason had boarded on that plane to New York without so much as a second thought. He had nowhere to stay, barely enough money to support himself, and no friends, but he was confident he'd make it.

He'd been here for less than a week, and things seemed to be looking up. Maybe he'd actually find what he was looking for.

With that thought, Jason fell asleep with a smile on his face, confident that his luck looked like it was in his favor for once.


	3. Bad day

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

Jason's day started out horrible.

First, he'd woken up cramped in the window sill with a 100 pound mastiff on his chest. Next, he realized that he didn't have any clean clothes. Then, he realized he was late for his job interviews. So he'd had to walk around Manhattan wearing ratty old jeans and and old t-shirt of Percy's that said 'CHB'. He hadn't eaten breakfast either; every time he'd pass a restaurant, he felt like his stomach was eating itself.

By the time his fourth interview was over, he had had scalding hot coffee spilled all over him, a staple lodged into his finger, and had received numerous bold invitations from flirtatious women.

The highlight of his day was when he was shoved off the curb in front of an MTA bus and then fined for jay walking. Yay. He glared at any of the pedestrians who wouldn't even bother giving him a second glance.

Jason grumbled as he dragged his feet down 5th Ave. He was tired of walking down the same streets numerous times, no idea where he was going. Oh yeah; he'd gotten lost, too. When he'd ask someone, they'd either ignore him, mislead him, or give him a dirty look. Was anyone actually _nice_ around here?! a few people gave him weird looks.

Had he said that aloud?

He heard someone snort. To the left of him, redhead sat on a park bench, concentrated on drawing the Metropolitan Museum of art. Her pencil moved furiously on her sketchbook, her tongue stuck out in absolute concentration. It didn't look like she even acknowledged him at all. But the ghost of a smile on her freckled face was no mistake.

"I don't know what your definitions of 'nice' is, but I think I might qualify. I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

"I'm Jason," he answered, unsure if he could trust this girl. Less than a week in New York had gotten him skeptical. "You're not from here. Hmm...surfer?" Amusement was hidden in her voice. He sighed, exasperated and beyond frustrated. "No! Why does everyone think that?!" It was obviously a rhetorical question, but Rachel seemed to find the need to answer it.

"Blond hair, blue eyes, athletic build, yet slightly muscular...you're from California, obviously. And anyone who's tanned around here looks like they've been raped by Doritos, not anywhere near as sun-kissed as you are."

Jason laughed. He felt at ease with this girl, as if he could trust her immediately. She finally looked at him, her pencil stopping for the first time since they've been talking. He noticed that she was wearing paint splattered clothes, her jeans having strange words and drawings all over them. Even while they talked, her foot bounced up and down, as if she couldn't sit still.

"I'm gonna guess you're an artist?"

She smiled bashfully, pushing a strand of fiery red hair behind her ear. "You can say that. I'm kind of struggling at the moment, but I'm also a poet. A lot of my friends call me Delphi. Or RED."

Jason felt like something was itching at the back of his skull. Dare...it sounded so familiar. He turned to Rachel quickly, interrupting her while she was talking. "Your father is _the_ Warren Dare?"

She nodded slowly, studying him for his reaction. He slowly processed this, picking out the right words. "But...you're so different from him." She glanced behind her shoulder, into Central Park, a wistful look in her eyes. "I know. I don't approve of what he does, ripping down trees to create factories. I once chained myself to a tree in protest for what he was doing. He...he nearly killed me. But I didn't stop, pushing him over the edge."

He had no idea what she meant by that. "So i guess I can add 'activist' onto your list?" he joked, a weak attempt at lightening the mood. she offered a small smile, catching on. "What can I say? I'm a busy woman." She bumped him with her shoulder. "How much was stolen?" Jason blinked. How had she known? Was this girl some type of psychic?

"About three suitcase's worth." Rachel whistled. "Now, I know it's probably not because you're blonde, but you're incredibly stupid. Who doesn't put locks on their stuff?"

"Wow, thanks," he said sarcastically. She smiled sweetly. "Hey, you should check out this cafe on East 33. I guarantee they're even better than Starbucks. I go there every day." Jason shrugged and stood up. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime. But right now I'm a bit preoccupied with a few things at the moment." He bid goodbye to Rachel, then turned back to her, remembering to ask directions.

"Percy? You mean... Percy Jackson? 6ft, green eyes?" Jason nodded and her face lit up.

* * *

Almost immediately after he knocked, the door opened revealing a hopeful Annabeth. Her face immediately fell in disappointment when she realized who it was.

He walked inside. "Geez. Glad to see you too, Annabeth." She smiled when she saw Rachel. Annabeth walked over to the couch and sat down hard, her head in her hands. "It's not that. It's just...Percy's not home yet. The last time that happened..." She trailed off, sobbing into her hands. It was easy to tell she was trying to compose herself, miserably failing. Rachel sat next to her and wrapped her arms around the trembling body in a comforting gesture.

Jason stood there confused and feeling awkward. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to comfort someone he just met. But Rachel and Annabeth seem like they've been friends for ages.

"What happened to Percy last time?" Annabeth sobbed harder, and Rachel's emerald eyes flicked over to him, a clear message to wait in her eyes. "Annabeth, Rachel said, turning back to her friend. "You have nothing to worry about. Percy's coming home. I'm sure he just got held back at work." Hearing the certainty in Rachel's voice, Annabeth's shoulders visibly relaxed.

Once she calmed down completely, she turned to Rachel and hugged her. Wiping at her eyes she offered a smile. "I haven't seen you in forever, Rach! How's it been going? Wait-" she pointed at Jason- how do you two know each other?" Rachel grinned. "He was walking around 5th Ave, talking to himself. I just simply engaged in light conversation, but he wouldn't let me leave!"

Jason shook his head. It was absolutely opposite. "Get you're facts straight, RED."

"And I should've known, too. Percy loves his strays." She patted Mrs. O'Leary's head softly. "Oh, look, there he is now." She turned to the door, staring at it expectantly.

A moment later, Percy barreled into the apartment, grinning like a madman. Annabeth jumped up and placed a big sloppy kiss on his lips. He blinked in surprise for a moment. He then seemed to notice how her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. The smile on his face disappeared. "Are you okay? Had something happened?" Not yet had he realized that there were other people in the room.

She shook her head, blonde curls flying all over her face. "What happened?"

"I got a promotion!" Annabeth's face lit up and she hugged him. "Really? That's-that's amazing!"

"I didn't accept it." She stopped and stared at his face, searching for the truth in his eyes. "I would've had my own branch, become one of them. But I chose to decline. Instead, I made a deal with Zeus. I brought light to situations in the lower Olympian branches. They weren't getting the attention they deserve."

Annabeth's eyes welled with tears. She threw her arms around Percy. "I'm so proud of you! You're amazing, Percy!" He blushed and rubbed his neck. Finally he seemed to realize Jason and Rachel were there.

She jumped up, hugging Percy tightly. "Percy!" She squealed. "I've missed you guys so much!"

"RED? When did you get back from Delphi? How wa-"

"Zeus! Zeus Olympia?" Jason interrupted, staring wide-eyed at Percy. He _seriously_ had to stop interrupting people. He was _way_ too slow figuring things out. Percy nodded slowly, eyeing Jason warily.

"Zeus, head of Olympus Industries. I would say this information is confidential, but I guess you already know who he is." He took of his suit jacket, and untied his blue and green tie. In all honesty, Percy looked exhausted. But he smiled brightly, as if he were proud of himself too.

Jason's head swam with questions. Apparently he'd waited too long to ask one, because Percy spoke up. "Yes, I work for Zeus. Actually, he's my uncle. And, no, I will not get an autograph for-"

"Wait, what? No, that wasn't what I was going to ask." So if Percy was Zeus's nephew, that meant he was related to... Jason's heart felt like it was swelling with pure jubilation. This is what he's wanted for so long; answers. It had seemed like this whole quest was set out to fail from the beginning, but finally things were starting to go his way. Now he really sounded like a teenage girl.

Percy seemed genuinely confused why someone wouldn't want an autograph from the mighty Zeus. He leaned in, clearly intrigued. "Then ask away."

"Do any of you happen to know Thalia Grace?"

* * *

**(A/N)I'm so sorry I hadn't updated in a few days. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I am just talking to myself right now.**

**Anyways, I guarantee Piper will be in the next chapter. Maybe. **

**~Greekfreak302**


	4. The Argo II

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

"What was your life like at home? I'm fairly certain it wasn't anything like it is in Manhattan."

Jason shrugged nonchalantly, but his whole body tensed. "Um, nothing like New York, actually. I kind of lived more in the suburbs, so life was seriously way too quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love it here no matter how rude people are, but it's just so different from what I'm used to. I guess I'll have to work on that."

"Jason, you and I both know that that isn't what I meant," Rachel said, staring at him. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, her clothes already accessorized with paint. Emerald green eyes shone brightly, as if she were in a great mood, despite the drab weather.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Rach, my life at home sucked. What more do you want to hear? When I was old enough to actually start questioning her, she pulled me out of school. If i misbehaved, she'd lock me in the attic. Sometimes she'd force me to work, sometimes I'd just beg for her to let me out because i was dying of boredom. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Wait, whoa," Rachel stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, earning them grumbles from people who had to maneuver around them. "Who is 'she'?"

"Juno. My..." He didn't even know what to call her. Juno definitely wasn't his mother, nor was she his stepmother. Guardian didn't count either, and technically she wasn't his adoptive mom. "She's just Juno, okay? The psycho who technically kidnapped me when I was little."

Rachel stood there, stunned. He didn't want to answer anymore questions, so he trekked forward, even if he had no idea where he was going. Eventually Rachel caught up, both of them staring ahead in silence. "I shouldn't have asked that. You didn't push me, and I should have respected that and not feed my curiosity."

Suddenly she became serious, worry evident across her features. "Jason, the other day, when you asked about Thalia...that's kind of a sore subject for them. Especially Zeus."

Jason's heart contracted. What happened to her? Was she...he shook his head. Thalia couldn't be dead. He'd gone to far, risked to much. Wow, how selfish was he; all he cared about was himself. What if she actually _was_ dead? Imagine how the others felt, having known her way longer than Jason.

"Curiosity has a price. It can cost you everything, yet it can cost you nothing at the same time. But it depends if you're willing to pay the prices to start getting answers." Her eyes seemed to be glowing, her skin growing pale. Rachel's eyes were unfocused, and she stared at nothingness while speaking. Her eyes quickly turned and stared at him intently. "Are you willing to pay the price, Jason Grace?"

He shuddered. Jason was fairly certain he hadn't told her his last name. After her words of wisdom were spoken, she blinked, the haze clearing from her eyes. He knew Rachel could be concerning with the whole 'predictions ' thing, but the words of wisdom were just down right creepy.

She inclined her head, obviously confused. "What's wrong?" Apparently she doesn't remember those creepy moments either. He'd have to write that down. He shook his head.

He paused. "When you were talking about Thalia, you said it was a sore subject for 'them'. Who's 'them'?"

Rachel grinned, and picked up her pace, forcing Jason to jog to keep up. "You'll meet them soon."

* * *

"Lost?"

Jason looked up and saw a girl standing by the sofa he was sitting on. A folded apron was tied around her thin waist, an empty tray held at her side.

"I don't think I recognize you around here. Are you new around here?" She seemed genuinely curious to know who he was. Jason opened his mouth, but before he was able to speak , she held up a finger. "Hold that thought," She turned and said something to a customer who had asked for assistance. Checking her watch, she turned back to Jason. "I'm Piper. If you need anything, I'll be around. I think my break is in," She checked her watch, "An hour. Will you be around that long?"

He nodded. He wasn't going to leave without Rachel, especially since he had no idea how to get back from Percy's apartment. Through the cafe window, he could see the empire state building surrounded by rain clouds. If he tilted his head, he could almost see a fist. He hadn't realized he'd spent the whole day staring at the building, most likely looking like an idiot.

He facepalmed. Was that the only reason Piper had talked to him? Because it was her job? Piper, who was still standing there, gave him a weird look, then nodded and walked off.

Once again he facepalmed. What was with Jason and frequently making a fool of himself?

"Don't hurt your brain there, blondie." Jason rolled his eyes as Leo sat next to him on the sofa, plucking up Jason's uneaten bagel. "Leo, don't you work here? Do you actually, you know, _work_?"

As soon as he and Rachel entered the cafe, she had shoved him into a few people and yelled at him to make friends. He had met one of the employees, Leo, who was playing with a lighter in the bathroom. Something seemed familiar about Leo, something he couldn't put his finger on.

The Latino shrugged. "I saw you talking to Pipes," He wiggled his eyebrows, grinning slyly. Jason shrugged. "She mostly just came by because she was curious who I was." Leo sat up straighter and nudged Jason, his eyes trained on something across the room. Following his gaze, Jason saw that Leo was staring at Piper. She was staring at Jason, a thoughtful expression on her face. When she saw both boys staring at her, she blushed and waved, grabbing an empty pitcher and disappearing into the kitchen.

"Dude, considering that I actually_ like_ you and don't want to see your face pounded in, I think I'll warn you now, before it's too late. Piper has a boyfriend who gets insanely jealous if he even sees her _smile_ at you. With that note, I suggest you stop staring at her like a love struck puppy." Before Jason could protest, Leo shook his head. "Don't even deny it, Grace, you totally dig her."

'_Who even says that anymore?_' he thought, shaking his head at Leo. Then, he paused. "You called me Grace. I never told you my last name." Leo's smile wore off. He stared at Jason, his eyes flicking back and forth. "Yeah, that's because Rachel, told me," Leo tried for a smile, but Jason was unconvinced. "You're a horrible liar, Leo. How do you know me?"

"I..." for once Jason couldn't even see a hint of a smile on Leo's face. Sure, he'd met the guy only hours ago, but it felt like he'd known Leo a lifetime. Leo stood up, a frightened look on his face. He shook his head and ran out of the cafe.

What was that about?

* * *

"I'm sorry, rush hour was longer than I expected. I didn't mean to keep you here the whole day.," Piper said, sitting next to Jason. It was now dark outside, the rain pouring outside.

He shrugged. "I would've waited anyways. I don't have anything better to do." He winced. he hadn't meant for it to sound like that. Piper gave him a confused smile, then mercifully changed the subject. "I saw you talking to Leo earlier. Why'd he leave? I had to take over both his shifts."

There were only a few people around, a few busboys washing down tables, cashiers counting money. For the first time, Jason noticed what the t-shirts said. the employees all wore either purple shirts or orange t-shirts. Piper wore an orange one that said Camp half-blood. Jason realized that hers was similar to Percy's, though it was obvious his was old. He would have to ask later.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know. He kind of freaked out on me."

Piper sighed and shook her head. "He's had a rough life. We all have. We're a family here. I don't think he's used to new people around here." Jason wanted to say that that was stupid, that this was a freaking _café_, but he kept his mouth shut. It seemed like everyone but him had someone to support them through their hard times.

Piper smiled and slipped on her coat. Answering her unasked question, he stood up too, grabbing his umbrella. "Do you, err, want me to walk you home?" He mentally smacked himself at how stupid he sounded. Piper nodded. "That would be nice. I forgot my umbrella at home. I was kind of rushing out the apartment this morning."

They strolled in the rain, talking about nothing and everything at the same time. Several times Piper had caught Jason staring at her, but he just couldn't help it; she was beautiful. They stood so close he could smell her natural scent of honey. He couldn't tell what color her eyes were; they seemed to border on blue, green, brown, or grey, all at the same time. It was captivating.

"You don't like the attention, do you?" He finally mustered up the courage to ask. She blushed and looked down, shrugging. "I'm not an attention hog. I'm perfectly happy with my life in the background. That's the reason my Dad-" She stopped herself. she shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's still an open wound."

Jason nodded. "I totally get it."

"You're different. How'd you end up in New York?"

Jason shrugged. "Grabbed some money, packed my bags and boarded the first plane to Manhattan. I'm looking for someone." Piper nodded. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement not to push each other. It felt weird how comfortable with Piper he had felt. Normally he wouldn't be telling this much to a stranger- but it was different with Piper. He could tell her anything without feeling like he couldn't trust her. She obviously wasn't the type to go blabbing people's business.

Piper stopped so suddenly that Jason stumbled into her. He held her waist, steadying her. A faint blush tinted her cheeks as she stared at him. "This is where I stop." Jason released his grip on her and watched as she waked up the steps of the apartment building.

Before she could unlock it, the door swung open. A Puerto Rican girl stood in the doorway, an impatient look on her face. "Piper, you're late."

Piper turned to Jason. "This is my roommate Reyna. I have to go- I'll see you around soon,right?" Jason nodded and she smiled. When both girls entered the building, Jason heard Reyna whisper not-so-quietly. "Where'd you find _him_?"

Jason didn't know what that meant, but he shrugged it off. He turned around and walked to Percy's apartment, a smile on his face.

* * *

"Jason." He removed his gaze from the window. He blinked away the grogginess from his eyes. He must have been falling asleep in the window will again.

Annabeth stood in front of him in her pajamas, her hair messy. She seemed to have been sleeping too. But her eyes were darker that usual, her face trained on a spot behind his ear.

"Annabeth? Are you okay?" She seemed distracted.

She hadn't really talked to Jason since he'd asked about Thalia; she had run out of the room crying. Jason could tell she wasn't mad at him, but he could tell she was reluctant to speak to him.

"Have you...have you ever tried looking your mother up?"

Jason was stunned. He had never told Annabeth about looking for his mom. He was sure he hadn't told anyone. But this girl was smart; smarter than he's realized. she caught on quickly, observed everything.

She grabbed her laptop. Annabeth and Jason had spent the rest of the next few hours searching For Beryl Grace, Thalia Grace, and any dirt they could get on either of them. If Jason did his math right, he'd guess Thalia was about 25. It seemed like someone had deliberately destroyed every bit of information about Thalia and Beryl and redirected them to something else.

"You know," Annabeth said, her eyes trained on the laptop screen, "I should have known." She sighed. "As soon as I saw your eyes," a pained look crossed her features. "Your last name was a dead giveaway, too. I didn't want it to be true. Thalia said she was an orphan, no family. Just the fact that she lied..." Annabeth's voice broke. A single tear fell.

"You were close to her," Jason guessed. She nodded. "She had ran away. She found me when I was lost. They took care of me." Tremors now shook Annabeth's body. he didn't understand what that meant, and he hadn't missed the 'they'. But he didn't ask. Instead, he awkwardly patted her back.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. "I thought I could talk about her, but I just can't," She stood up and gave him an apologetic look. "I hope you find your mother. Maybe she's not as bad as Thalia said she was."

She walked out of the room, still shaking.

* * *

** Hey guys, I just want to say thank you all so much for your support. Keep reading. It'll get better, I hope.**

**It might take me longer to post chapters. I'm trying to make them longer; how am I doing? Please rate and review. I'll even accept flames. Just give me your honest opinion.**

**~Greakfreak302**


	5. Ruining things

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

Jason's curiosity was literally crushing him. He had to refrain himself going around, demanding answers. It had been killing him, not knowing what happened to Thalia, or why Leo was avoiding him, or, maybe, why both Rachel and Piper had daddy issues.

He shook his head and grabbed a serving tray, loading drinks onto it.

Jason seriously couldn't express his gratitude to Piper for getting him a job at The ArgoII. Rachel was right- their coffee_ was_ the best, even if he wasn't such a big fan of coffee.

This was a start - getting a job, being able to help Percy and Annabeth pay the rent. He was starting to get used to the New York life, no matter how busy it seemed. He might've been getting paid a little over minimum wage, but it didn't bother him to do the work. It gave him something to do, rather than sitting in the apartment, bored out of his mind.

All the co-workers treated him like he was family, as if he belonged. Jason knew he hadn't been there as long as the others have, and they knew it too, but they seemed to welcome him with open arms.

He pushed open the door to the kitchen, making his way deeper into the café. Piper smiled at him as he passed. He nodded back , making his way to table 10

"How's it going?" He yelped and dropped the tray. Piper was behind him, obviously fighting off laughter. She kneeled down and helped him pick up the fallen drinks. "I didn't hear you behind me."

She smiled at him. He stared at her as she worked,then it occurred to him that he should help. "Don't worry. You're not the only one who messed up on their first day. I mean, it is your third day, and you should already get the hang of things, but..." she smiled. Jason took no offense, knowing she was just teasing. Piper didn't seem to have it in her to be mean.

"I mixed up five orders on week two," She confessed, shaking her head. "Dionysus yelled at me, but Annabeth got me off free." Dionysus was the manager, who spent most of his time hung over and laying in a pool of throw up in his office. He couldn't even find the time to learn everyone's name. When Jason was first employed, Dionysus had given him a name tag that said 'Jordan'. Everyone hated him for more than one reason.

His eyebrow furrowed. "Annabeth worked here?" Piper nodded. "Almost everyone in Olympus Industries has connections to us. Working here is just temporary for some of us. My mom expects me to quit working here soon and start working alongside her. My sister Silena already started in fashion. My mom, Aphrodite, is the head of the Cosmetics and beauty branches. Same thing with Annabeth. A few years ago she quit to start working with her mother, Athena."

"Piper, I'd bet you'd make an awesome model. You're already more beautiful than all of them combined." It was true. Piper didn't need to cake her face in makeup to look beautiful. It was natural beauty, and the fact that she downplayed it made her seem even more gorgeous to Jason. She blushed, but shook her head. "That's exactly it. I don't want to be just another pretty face, Jason. I don't want everyone to look at me and think I'm just some air-headed bimbo who you can't take seriously." Piper stood up and handed Jason the tray rather forcefully. She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'll get the janitor to clean this mess up." She wouldn't look at Jason as she spoke. "Piper you know I didn't mean it like that. Don't be mad."

She shook her head. "I'm not mad, Jason." She started walking away as if a second thought, she spoke without turning. "I kind of thought you were different. My mistake for having such high hopes."

Piper left Jason standing in the middle of the room, staring at Piper dejectedly. Of course; Jason just _had_ to ruin things.

* * *

A week.

That's how long Piper had been ignoring him. She kept saying she wasn't mad, but whenever he'd talk to her, she'd just shrug him off. Annabeth was avoiding him still, and Leo had just completely disappeared. Somehow he'd managed to completely screw everything up.

"She doesn't like being pretty," Someone said behind him. Jason turned. Curious 14-Karat golden eyes stared at Jason. Curly shoulder length hair fell across her shoulders and she wore a purple t-shirt like his, saying 'S.P.Q.R.'

He still had yet to meet all the employees and Jason guessed she was one that he'd missed. "What?" He asked, confused. She rolled her eyes. "We all see how you look at her, Jason. And I might have overheard your conversation with her last week." He wrung out the rag and continued wiping off the tables.

"With two famous parents, she's just bound to get attention. And she hates it. Calling her pretty is one thing, but saying she has an opportunity at modeling is another thing. She's already had years' worth of pressure from her mom and her other siblings. "

Jason turned back to the girl. She looked around 16.

"I didn't know that. She already told me she hates the attention, but I never knew that much." The mocha-skinned girl shrugged. "She doesn't go around telling her life story to everyone she meets." Finally, her eyes widened and she lightly hit herself on the head. "Oh! Where are my manners," she stuck out her hand. "I'm Hazel Levesque."

He shook her hand. "I haven't been around here longer than Percy, or maybe Annabeth, but I have started here around the same time as Piper. I can't even imagine how mad she was about Aphrodite being her mother," Hazel shook her head. "But I know that she wasn't taken seriously until she got back from Greece a few years ago."

"Why?"

"She proved herself, as well as me, Leo, Annabeth, Percy, Nico, Reyna, and Frank. We had to take care of issues in the enemies' divisions. But, that's not important right now. She's just mad that some newbie came in and brought back the memories. She thought no one thought of her that way anymore, and after you said what you said, you brought her down a notch on her confidence scale."

Jason nodded, still digesting what Hazel was saying. "Anyways, I have to go. Octavian's going to have a fit if I don't get back to kitchen duty. In case you're wondering who Octavian is, he's the assistant manager."

She quickly scurried away, leaving Jason to his thoughts.

By the time he finished all the tables, Jason's head felt like it was going to explode. Distractedly, he grabbed the bucket of water and headed over to the kitchen.

"Can you just shut up for once and actually let me talk?" Jason paused. Slowly and quietly he made his way up to the door. "No, I'm not saying that, Dyl-" the voice stopped and sighed, apparently listening to the person on the other line. It was unmistakably Piper's beautiful voice, sounding thick with emotion. "I just-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN." Her voice echoed throughout the room. It was obvious to tell the other employees were trying to ignore it, as if this were done on regular basis. But the look in Hazel's eyes confirmed it all. She shook her head sadly, then went to the back. "Please talk to me when you get your head out of your ass and realize that I only care about _you_. I've got too much on my plate right now to deal with this." It became silent.

The door opened and Piper stumbled out, wiping her eyes. When she realized who she'd bumped into, she just stared at him. There was something unreadable in her eyes. No anger was visible on her face as she searched his eyes. Finally, she looked down. "Excuse, me." she mumbled, pushing past him. Jason watched as she pulled on her jacket, exiting the cafe.

* * *

"Dude, you've never gone surfing before?" Percy sounded incredulous. "You lived in_ Cali freaking fornia_. How could you have possibly gotten that tan?"

Jason shrugged. "I've spent most of my time indoors. I guess I'm just naturally tan?" Percy was seriously making a big deal out of nothing. It was obvious he had some obsession with water, but Percy was just overreacting.

Ever since they had gone outside, Jason felt like he was being watched. It was obvious he was just being paranoid, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

"Have you been living under a rock?" Percy shook his head. "This is truly sad. You lived in California for most of your life but you've never even gone surfing? What have you been doing with your life? Even I have gone surfing. Have you seen the water around here? It's disgusting."

Jason laughed. Percy seemed truly passionate about stupid things. "I hate the water. It just makes me feel like I'm going to drown."

Percy looked offended, as if Jason had personally wronged him. "How dare you-" Percy stopped, staring at something across the street. Jason looked in that direction too, and his eyes locked on a pair of electric blue eyes. His breath caught; his chest tightened.

"_Thalia_?" Jason and Percy asked at the same time.

* * *

** Hello, lovely viewers. I'm sorry about all these cliffhangers, but I'm just trying to build up the suspense. How am I doing?**

**You'll definitely get to meant Thalia in the next chapter, though. Rate and Review.**

**~Greekfreak302**


	6. Thalia

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

Electric blue eyes widened in fear of being spotted. He couldn't see her face- she wore a big hoodie over her head, but her bright blue eyes were easy to spot even in the dark, like his. Her eyes darted between the two of them, then to both ends of the block, and Jason knew she was ready to run.

Automatically , Jason knew it was Thalia, even without really seeing her face. No one else- besides him- had those eyes;bright electric blue, filled with intensity. Percy was frozen, his face displaying a sea of emotion- confusion, regret, irritation, anger, hurt, and finally, surprised. His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, his body tensing as if he were ready to run.

He knew it would've been easy for Thalia to just run away; how could the catch her? She was across the street, cars passing by quickly, the movement around her enabling her to blend with the crowd. But she didn't. She stared, and he stared right back. He didn't know what to say- what _could_ he say?

Would she even remember him? He stared at her questioningly.

She nodded almost imperceptibly. He blinked. It was almost as if he imagined it. But, he didn't, and it was real. She remembered him. She _knew_ him. He felt so elated, his heart was going to burst and he could hardly breathe , but he didn't care.

_She remembered him_!

"Why is she..." Percy's voice trailed off and his brow furrowed in confusion. His eyes had grown darker, his expression that of sorrow.

"It's Thalia," Jason breathed, grinning like a mad man. "It's Thalia," he repeated, still in disbelief. It was obvious she didn't know what to do. She kept glancing to the end of the block, yet her body kept moving forward millimeter by millimeter.

She wouldn't take her gaze off him. Tears visibly welled in her eyes. It amazed Jason how he could see her so clearly from across the road, even if he was nearsighted.

Then, she stopped moving forward. Instead, she took a giant step back, staring at Jason with a sense of urgency.

Thalia's lithe figure turned and ran.

Almost immediately, Percy bolted after her. He hadn't crossed yet- unless he wanted to get hit by a car- but he still ran next to Thalia from across the street. Their figures became smaller and smaller. Jason realized that he should catch up before he lost them.

All but sprinting, Jason ran as fast as he could, not even bothering to warn people to get out of his way. He had tripped over a stroller, but still got back up, holding his bleeding arm. He could still see Percy, but it was hard to follow Thalia's figure with his eyes. She seemed t o be moving constantly, gracefully dodging obstacles. Sometimes she would blend with the activity around her, her dark clothing making her almost invisible. The setting sun was not helping at all.

Finally Jason had caught up to Percy. The older boy merely nodded once in acknowledgement, otherwise completely focused on his task.

But it was easy to tell Percy was tiring quickly, and Jason couldn't run much longer either. Thalia didn't show an ounce of exhaustion, running with out hesitancy.

They finally got to a highway. Jason had to grab onto Percy to restrain him. If Jason hadn't caught Percy quick enough, one step into the road would've been suicide. Percy struggled, obviously wanting to continue chasing Thalia. "Dude, she's getting away," Percy yelled, fighting harder. His eyes watched her body, green orbs growing darker. He had no idea what had gone on between Percy and his sister, but it obviously wasn't something good.

Realizing the boys were no longer chasing her, Thalia stopped too. She was in the middle of the busy road, leaning on a sign. She faced them, her chest moving at a steady pace, as if she hadn't just ran for thirty minutes straight.

Jason realized that they were a long way from Percy and Annabeth's apartment. They were in Harlem.

Jason realized that she hadn't been trying to run away. No, she was leading them somewhere. She had been running slowly, every once and a while glancing over her shoulder. She wasn't trying to outrun them.

She looked at him, knowing he knew her plan. She quirked a brow, then nodded. She put a finger to her lips. It was his turn to nod. It was odd how the two siblings could communicate through their eyes and simple movements, considering he hadn't seen her for 16 years.

She turned and quickly ran into the street, nimbly avoiding cars with ease. Within seconds, she disappeared from sight.

Percy practically flung himself into the street, trying to get to Thalia. Jason stopped him, grabbing Percy and pulling him back onto the curb. Percy shoved Jason angrily, running a hand through his hair. "What'd you do that for? We could have caught her!"

Jason shook his head. He knew it, and Percy knew it too."You would have died. She's obviously an expert at running away." Percy winced, looking away with an odd look in his eye.

Sure, he hadn't gotten to actually talk to his sister, but they had communicated in other ways. His disappointment just bounced off him- he was just too jubilant. He was so high off the ground that he couldn't see it.

Meanwhile, Percy dragged his feet besides him, looking down sullenly. His hair hung in his face, preventing Jason from seeing anything but a quivering lip. Was it really that serious? Why was Percy so worked up?

Whatever the reason, Jason was going to find out. He was sick of not getting answers. There were to many secrets, too many issues.

Jason felt more determined than ever to find his sister again. He wouldn't stop. He no longer care about finding his mother. He wanted to see Thalia again. She could be all he needed. After all, Beryl had a chance to reach out to Jason, yet she didn't. Scared or not, she should have at least tried- and, no, leaving a pathetic note didn't count.

His felt his resentment for his mother increase slowly. He had spent his whole life dreaming about reuniting with her, but now it was a stupid dream. Just one moment of seeing his sister had changed his opinion so drastically. What when he actually _talked_ to her?

If_ you actually _find_ her_, he reminded himself.

Jason didn't care. He was going to find Thalia Grace no matter what it takes.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys, I know I haven't updated in a while after leaving you with that cliffhanger, but here you go! I know your guys wanted to meet Thalia, but I wanted build the suspense a little.**

**Anyways, I am so sorry about all the grammatical errors throughout this story. I'll do my best to keep them to a minimal.**

**Yes, this chapter was short, but it was for a reason. I didn't want to add an extra scene after leaving it with Jason all determined. It was long enough to be a chapter anyways- 1,144 words! Another Cliffy! Enjoy waiting for the next chapter!**


	7. Answers

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

"Hey guys, you're back later than I expected." Annabeth sat in front of the kitchen counter facing the doorway, busily typing away at her laptop. Her messy golden hair was tied into a messy bun, thick rimmed glasses on her face. She looked focused on the screen in front of her. A cup of coffee stood next to the laptop. Judging from the bags under her eyes, Jason would guess she had stayed up most of the night.

Percy slammed the door angrily. Annabeth jumped, staring at them worriedly. "What happened?"

Jason sighed and plopped down on the couch hard, running a hand over his face. Percy stared at him, seemingly waiting for Jason to explain. He guessed he was taking too long, because Percy started speaking.

"We were being followed, Annabeth! Guess by who? T-"

Jason cut him off with a look. He was sure Percy had seen Thalia's clear as day warning not to tell anyone. Percy narrowed his eyes at Jason, but kept quiet anyways.

"Who?" Annabeth asked, clearly not liking being left in the dark. "It was just some thug that wanted to get our money," Jason said quickly. "We chased him all the way to Harlem, the lost 'em on some highway." It wasn't exactly a lie, he told himself.

Percy stared at Jason harshly, as if it was his fault.

Percy had no reason to be mad at him. What could have possibly done? Call up Thalia and invite her for tea? Obviously Jason was disappointed too, but he wasn't going to be unreasonable and blame Percy for something as stupid as that. But Percy seemed impulsive, and Jason had a feeling he would stop at nothing to accomplish something he was determined about no matter the consequences.

Annabeth's eyes cut between the two, easily reading past his lie, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she closed her laptop and stretched. "There's obviously something on between you two. I'll leave you two to discuss." She hugged Percy."Night Jason."

There were a few moment of silence. Jason couldn't take it anymore. "Dude, what do you want from me? I wasn't going to let you kill yourself trying to catch her. Have some common sense; she was too fast. If you did manage to cross the street, she would've been long gone. Please stop blaming me for something as obvious as that. You want someone to blame? Blame Thalia!"

Percy could have easily kicked Jason out if he wanted to. But Percy sat there, unmoving. When he looked at Jason there was no anger. "I thought this would've been my chance. I havens seen her since I was fifteen; that's four years Thalia's been MIA."

The raven headed boy looked out the window, seemingly ignoring Jason.

Even if Jason knew she was alive, he still felt guilty asking. "What happened to Thalia?" A splay of emotions danced Percy's his face. He was silent so long that Jason even doubted he had heard the question.

"I provoked her. Everyone did. Being Zeus's kid isn't easy. Everyone expected something better out of her, not matter how hard she tried. Then some would just wait for her to fail, like it was a sick game. After losing Bianca di Angelo, then Zoe..." He shook his head. "We had an argument and she finally snapped. Everyone thought she just went to go cool off, but she never came home. When they went to check her room, most of her stuff was gone."

Tears welled up in Percy's eyes. He stared out the window, but Jason could see he was reliving the memory in his head.

Percy took a deep breath and continued talking. "They sent out search parties, but mostly came back empty handed. A week later, during a meeting, Artemis entered. She," his voice wavered "...she confirmed that Thalia was dead. She said they found her body in New York Harbor." Percy finally lost it, angry tears trailing down his cheeks. He hit the coffee table, a long crack appearing in the middle. "I could have prevented it! When I found out she was dead...everyone turned on me."

Eventually he started calming down. "But now, she's not dead. Artemis lied. I don't even know what to feel, Jason. I've been living with this grief for years. It's been even harder on Nico. Zeus hated me from the beginning, but after Thalia, he's just been working me to the bone, setting me up to fail." Percy spoke softer, "I thought I could end this cycle of hatred, Jason. I thought I could finally be able to forgive myself. I see Thalia, and I let her out of my grasp."

Jason didn't know what to say. This was the most he'd heard from Percy and Annabeth combined on the subject of 'Thalia'.

There was a loud crash upstairs. Almost immediately, Percy's eyes went to the staircase. A second later, he went upstairs, Jason following.

Annabeth stood in the hallway, her face pale. She was shaking so bad that her knees buckled, but Percy caught her just in time. She must have leaned on the podium, when a vase used to stand. Shattered glass littered to floor.

Percy and Jason shared a look. _She head heard their conversation._

* * *

After Annabeth's mental breakdown, Jason was drained emotionally, physically, and mentally. Percy continuously ran his fingers through his hair, pacing around the living room.

"I can't believe she heard all that," Percy turned to Jason, biting his lip. "I understand she just now found out Thalia was alive, but why did she freak out like that?"

Percy shook his head. "Annabeth was the closest to Thalia. As far as she was concerned, as well as everyone else, Thalia had ran away. Only her close family members knew how she died. She was devastated for months. I'm pretty sure I'd be in a messed up mental state too if I found out how my best friend supposedly died, then finding out she wasn't dead, and the person you trusted most kept that from you."

When Percy put it that way, Jason felt stupid for even asking about her breakdown. Someone as strong as Annabeth was breaking down like that, it was a wonder why Percy wasn't the same way right now. Percy had even admitted he was the reason she ran away and that he had felt unbearable guilt.

Then Jason remembered that Percy _had_ broken down, just in a different way than Annabeth.

"We'll find Thalia," Jason vowed. Percy stared at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was crazy, thinking that they had a third chance, but he didn't care. Being pessimistic wouldn't help them right now. They just had to hold onto hope.

"Percy, how long have you lived here?" Percy stopped pacing and stared at Jason, his eyes conveying how irrelevant he thought that question was. "A year," he answered anyway.

Jason was on a roll and he wouldn't stop by one unexpected answer. He tried another approach. "You work in the Empire state building with Zeus, right?" Percy nodded warily. No one had told Percy that Olympus Industries was in the Empire state building, but he had figured it out himself.

"That's pretty close by to this apartment. Obviously Thalia's been to where her father works, right?" he waited for Percy's confirmation. He nodded once again. "So she's already pretty familiar with the area. I bet she's been watching all of you guys for a while now. But only when she saw her brother had her coming even closer, risking getting caught. And she did."

He waited for this to sink in, then continued. "There's a chance she could be back tomorrow. When we were chasing her, she was leading us somewhere. I have a suspicion she wants to talk. If she does come around again, we'll have to follow. But we can't tell anyone. Deal?"

Percy mulled this over slowly. Finally he smacked Jason's outstretched hand. "Deal."

* * *

**A/N: I'm kind of sad to say that I'm losing viewers by every chapter. Is my story really that bad?**

**Anyways, I gave you a chapter with some explanations. Maybe next chapter I'll explain further about Annabeth and what's going on with Leo. I promise whoever's reading that I will finish this story no matter if no one reads it. I am not a quitter (most of the time).**

**And, I know it says Jasper in the summary, but not every part of this story if going to be about that. We're getting there. I'm sorry if I disappoint with the whole Piper/ Jason thing, but I'm not just trying to make it a love story. Of course, things will happen between them, but some of the chapters will probably be about Jason finding out the truth. I'm at least trying to get to chapter 9/10 where all you wonderful readers will know everything. Maybe the romance will start then.**

**I am not purposefully leaving you with cliffhangers and questions. It just comes naturally. I guess I learn from uncle Rick *Cough* Mark of Athena* cough cough* Just be glad that I'm not leaving you with a _year_ full of suspense. I'm not _that_ cruel.**

**One more thing before I go; BunnyFromAbove: they are regular mortals in this story, not demigods. Some stuff might happen where you question if mortals are actually capable of doing, but otherwise, they have no powers.**

**Oh, that's another thing I'll start doing if more people review. Ask questions in your review and if they're not answered in the next chapter, then I'll answer them myself. (Questions that don't require spoilers as an answer)**

**Please rate and review. Bye!**

**~greakfreak302**


	8. Answers II

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan**

* * *

Thalia hasn't returned.

Its been a full month. Not even a sign or anything. She just completely disappeared. Jason had even gone back to Harlem where they last saw Thalia. Nothing.

Percy hasn't been talking to him. Annabeth averts her eyes whenever he passes by as if this was all his fault. Piper always pretends that he wasn't there, as if he were just a nightmare. Leo still avoided him. The only people who were actually talking to him were Rachel and Hazel.

"Cheer up. It almost seems like the weather is reflecting your mood," Rachel said, nudging him. It was true. While he was all glum and depressed, the weather was dark, gloomy, and rainy, thunder occurring every few minutes.

Jason shrugged, still looking down at his old burnt converses. He kicked the mud, walking without a coat, without an umbrella. Rachel rolled her eyes at him. She seemed like the only color in his depressing state. Jason felt comfort in knowing she was there with him, every step of the way. He could totally confide in her, telling her anything.

"If it makes you feel better, Thalia's not gone for good." He stared at her, not allowing hope to shine through. If he did, he would only get disappointed in the end. "Really?" He asked dishearteningly, once again looking back down at the ground. "How would you know?" He tried not to sound bitter about it.

"She's right there." she pointed. Jason glanced up, towards the direction she was pointing. He couldn't see anything but umbrellas. "Jason at least _try_ to find her. she's sitting on a park bench, staring right at us."

He squinted. Several yards away, a dark haired girl sat on a bench under the trees, shades over her eyes. She wore a hoodie, but Jason could see her pale skin and lithe figure. It was Thalia!

He was so happy he felt like he could kiss Rachel. Wait...no he wouldn't. She seemed strictly in the friend zone.

Anyways, Thalia tensed, noticing she's been spotting. Jason full on ran, leaving Rachel behind. Thalia didn't run this time. Instead, she sat there watching him run, hands clasped tightly and lips pursed. As soot as he got to the bench, he scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Thalia," he breathed. She smelled like pine needles.

"Hands off the merchandise," she chided. He put her down grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sorry, i just...I can't believe I found you."

"_I_ found_ you_," She corrected. Tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lip. "It's been years, Jason. I..." She didn't need to finish that sentence. Jason felt the same way. She hugged him another time.

Then she pulled back, studying his face. "You've grown so much..." A tear fell. Then, her face hardened and she glanced behind herself. "I have to go."

It took a few seconds to process that.

"What?" He just met her and now she's leaving. "I know, I want to talk too, but I have to go. You'll see me soon." She put on her hood and with one last look at Jason, she turned and ran.

Jason stared after her, even when he could no longer see her. Now he knew how Percy felt. He had her within his grasp, and now he let her go. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

He turned to Rachel. She offered a small smile. "Its okay, Jason. You'll see her again. "

"How do you know? Last time I believed that, I haven't seen her in a month." He really shouldn't question Rachel's ability to just_ know_ things, but Jason was feeling too upset to care.

"Because, she left something."He looked around, not finding anything but mud. He stared at Rachel expectantly. She made an irritated noise, getting on her knees and looking beneath the bench. Jason made a face. The bench looked just as dirty as public garbage cans. "You know, you need to open your eyes and _look_, Jason. I swear, you're as oblivious as Percy."

She stood up, her jeans dirtied, a smudge of mud on her face. But she didn't care. She held a small piece of folded paper with gum attached to the back, grinning proudly at her accomplishment. After seeing he wasn't going to take it, she shoved it into his hand, forcing him to hold it.

He opened it, sure that Rachel was just being crazy and happened to find something under a park bench in Central Park.

'_26/10, 1900, square'_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jason asked, truly perplexed. Rachel read over his shoulder, then rolled her eyes. "You're so dense, Jason. It says meet her in Times Square at 7:00 p.m. On Friday, the 26 of October."

He stared at it. "It's a rendezvous," She said slowly."I know that," he snapped. She laughed.

Thalia _had_ said that he would see her soon. A big grin appeared in his face, nearly splitting in half.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Jason said. Startled, Piper looked up from the dishes. When she saw who it was, she looked back down and continued washing dishes.

"I stopped being mad a long time ago, Jason." She turned off the water and wiped her hands. Pushing past him, she grabbed and apron and tied it around her waist, pulling her choppy mahogany hair into a ponytail.

"I...wait, what?" Jason grabbed an apron too and grabbed a notepad, handing it to Piper. She pushed out of the doors of the kitchen, Jason following behind. "I said I s-"

"I heard what you said. What do you mean you stopped being mad?"

She stopped walking and turned to him, shrugging. "It's exactly how its sounds. I stopped being mad when I heard you and Hazel talking." She continued to busy herself, grabbing customer's garbage.

"You...that was over a month ago!" She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you would've actually _talked_ to me and kept your distance and thinking I'm mad, you would know I wasn't mad. You're the real one to blame, here."

He couldn't believe she was turning this around on him. Well yeah, he should have said something instead of thinking she was mad, but still. It wasn't fair of her to think this wasn't his fault. He shook his head, not wanting to get worked up over this.

"So... you're not mad anymore?" She nodded. " And we're friends again?" She nodded. He collected orders every once and a while, while Piper collected trash smiling and greeting customers.

"_Duh_," She said, not looking at both headed back to the kitchen.

"But," She said stopping in front of the door to the kitchen. Jason nearly bumped into her, not expecting her to stop so quickly. "You do need to talk to Leo. I don't know what you said to him, but he's obviously freaked out by you." She gestured to the back, where Leo was playing with a lighter, completely consumed by the flame.

He nodded. Piper smiled encouragingly and disappeared into the kitchen.

As soon as Leo saw Jason approaching him, he put the lighter away, probably ready to run. "Don't," Jason warned."Valdez, I swear, if you run I will chase you."

Jason stood in front of Leo. "Explain."

"Explain what?" Jason gave him a 'dude, I'm not stupid' look. Leo sighed. "I have nothing against you, but..." Jason waited sensing that this story might be long, he sat down.

"I remember you. We were 15, and you attended the Wilderness School in Nevada." Leo seemed to be having a hard time. Jason was beyond confused. "You showed up out of nowhere, saying your evil step mother placed you there. Piper remembers you, too, but she doesn't want you to know. She can tell that you've changed somehow. We were at a trip to the Grand Canyon when something went wrong, and you simply...disappeared." Leo shook his head.

"Maybe you've got the wrong Jason in mind. I don't remember any Wilderness school."

"Yeah, that's what amnesia does to you." Jason blinked. Wouldn't he have remembered if he had amnesia? Why was Leo acting so weird?

"I'm not saying you did have amnesia, but you hit your head pretty hard." Jason stared at Leo. "Maybe you just lost that whole year of memories instead of a whole lifetime of memories. I wouldn't put it above Juno to say she brainwashed you again. She was probably delighted to hear that you were injured and tried to start over."

Jason rolled his eyes. He actually remembered that, when he came back from some trip in Arizona and Juno constantly grilled him,telling him crazy things. slowly, Jason shook his head. "I...no. I've never been to Nevada, I've never been to the Grand Nevada, and I've never had amnesia."

"Dude, you can't seriously look me in the eyes and say you don't remember me." Jason looked down. He had to admit, Leo _did_ look familiar, but he didn't want to admit it. This was some crazy idea. He silently wondered if Leo was sober.

"Fine. Look at Piper. You can't forget someone like that, especially someone you used to date." Jason stared at Leo, wide-eyed. "If you don't believe me, ask her."

Jason stood up and walked to the front of the cafe, where Piper was sweeping the floor. "Why didn't you tell me you remember me?"Piper didn't answer, just avoiding eyes contacted sweeping faster.

"Piper."

She looked up at him. "Fine. Yes, I remember you. I tried to forget about you, but that's hard when... when..." Red flooded her cheeks. "When?" he asked, confused. "Look, I'll just explain later. We both have to get back to work." He stared at her as she dumped out the garbage.

"When you're in love with someone," she said as she was passing by. Jason stared behind her, dumbfounded.

* * *

** A/N**

**Hey guys! Sorry about the slow update, but I had a whole chapter finished and I forgot to save it, so...yeah.**

**At Least you got to meet Thalia, if only for a few seconds. This chapter probably sucks, but I did my best at rewriting it. The next chapter will probably be longer, where you get to meet Thalia for real. So I apologize in advance for taking a while writing it. I started writing a new story yesterday, so I'll probably have to divide what little time I have between these stories. **

**And to avoid any confusion for my reviewers, My sister thought it would be a good idea to steal my phone and write a review of her own. Thanks sis! *note the sarcasm***


	9. Answers III

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

* * *

"Wait, whoa," Jason grabbed Piper's arm, forcing her to face him. "What do you mean you love me?"

She made and irritated noise, rolling her eyes. "I said _loved_. I used to be in love with you. Now I'm not." Okay, Jason had to admit that stung a little. He wouldn't say he was in love with Piper, but he was becoming accustomed to her.

"But you were when we were 15." he said. "Right," She confirmed. "I got over it a long time ago. Now I have a boyfriend." Piper yanked her arm from his grip, wiping down several tables. She glanced up then looked back at the table. "There he is now," She mumbled, not at all sounding happy about it. Jason turned to the door.

A boy looking a few years older than he and Piper strolled in as if he owned the place, wearing a Dallas Cowboy's football jersey. His light hair was gelled back superman style, and his smile was so bright it should come with a warning label; "WARNING: do not look at teeth directly. Blindness may occur." When his pale eyes landed on Piper, he smiled brighter and made his way over.

"Hey babe, I thought I might stop by for your break." Piper grimaced as he kissed her. "I told you not to call me babe, and my break isn't in 3 hours. Remember?" She forced a smile. His eyes flashed dangerously, and Jason saw Piper shy away from his touch.

When his eyes landed on Jason, Dylan's shoulders straightened. Even though Jason was helping Piper wash down tables, he could just _feel_ Dylan sizing him up. Jason, ignoring Dylan, turned to Piper. "We can switch. Mine's in 15. Wouldn't want Dylan waiting, would we?"

Piper's eyes flashed in annoyance and she gritted her teeth, once again forcing a smile and turning to Dylan. "Sounds great. I'll meet you outside?"

"Yeah, whatever. Hurry up." And with that, Dylan walked outside.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" He asked innocently, continuing to wash the same table for the third time. "You said you have a boyfriend and you love him, so I thought you should spend more time with him."

"You're messing with me," Piper accused. "No I'm not! I'm just saying, since you don't love me, you _should_ love your boyfriend. And after that argument I overheard...it sounds like you guys are dancing on sharp rocks. Unless you were just lying and you still love me?" Jason smirked. He was having _way_ too much fun with this and he could tell Piper was growing more agitated.

"I don't love him," She confessed. Before Jason could speak, she interrupted. "That's not saying I love you either. It's just...it's complicated." She pushed past him.

And for the millionth time since he's been in New York, Jason's curiosity was sparked.

* * *

"Please?"

"No." She continued walking. Jason followed behind the blonde, constantly begging her to tell him.

"I don't feel like talking about Thalia." She cast a sideways glance at him, a murderous look on her face. But he wasn't near finished pushing the question. "You don't have to talk about her, just _please_ tell me about what happened. You said she ran away. Explain."

They walked for five minutes straight, Jason walking besides Annabeth, looking at her expectantly while she completely ignored him.

Annabeth, clearly annoyed and seeing Jason wasn't going to give up the subject, turned to him, scowling. "Jason, If I tell you will you leave me alone?"Like a little kid, Jason lit up, grinning wide. The two sat on a bench under a bus stop. Jason stared at her expectantly.

Annabeth gazed at something across the street, playing with a necklace of a coral reef strung to a leather cord. "I was seven," She started, looking down. "I ran away from home. I don't really remember the first few months, but I remember when I met her. I had just outrun a couple of guys who tried to kidnap me. I found shelter in an alley in Richmond Ironworks. For a few days I stayed there hiding under a sheet of corrugated iron , nursing my wounds, nothing but a hammer as a weapon. One night I heard noises." A she recalled the memory, her eyes darkened, the normally light grey turning stormy, then completely black.

"Luke moved the sheet of metal and I came running at him. I nearly brained him with a hammer. Thalia convinced him that I should stay with them on their journey to find their parents. Thalia was twelve at the time. Luke was fourteen. We were on the run together, a little deformed family. They took care of me. When we finally found our parents here, everything started changing. I met Percy, Thalia disappears, and then Luke-" Her voice failed and she stared sobbing.

He waited until he calmed down to ask. "Who is Luke?" It seemed like Annabeth was lost in the memory, recalling everything she remember. Jason didn't think she meant to let that name slip.

Her eyes snapped to him, glaring. "You wanted to know about my story and about what it has to do with Thalia, right? Luke is irrelevant." She stood up and zipped her coat. "Jason, if you want to know things, you better find another source. I don't like talking about my past. And now I'm late for work. I'll see you later."

* * *

"Dude." Percy said. "You seriously weren't kidding when you said Thalia was going to meet you."

Thalia turned, probably hearing them. Percy rushed forward and embraced her tightly, still holding on five minutes later. "I missed you too, Percy." She smiled. "How's Nico?"

This was the second time hearing about this Nico. "He's...floating around somewhere. You know how he is."

Thalia nodded, then smiled. "I have...two hours to talk. You can ask me as many questions you want." Before either boys could start shooting off questions, she held her hand up. "Let's go to your apartment first."

As soon as Thalia saw Annabeth, she burst into tears, hugging the blonde tightly. Annabeth remained stony-faced, not letting saying anything. "Annie, I've missed you."

Annabeth pushed off Thalia, anger and pain in her eyes. "You disappear for years Thalia! No one's heard from you for four freaking years! You think that all of a sudden you can come back here and think we're all buddy buddy? Did it not occur to you how I would feel? Right after Luke, too..." by now Annabeth was crying, trying her hardest not to.

Thalia looked down, her face hidden by her dark hair. She looked exactly like the picture Jason had, as if she hadn't aged a day. Actually, she seemed to be radiating eternal youth. Even if she had to be around 25, Thalia didn't look day over 15. "I get it," She whispered.

Annabeth turned and ran up the stairs, holding back the tears.

Percy sighed. "Thalia, she's been having a hard time with this all. She wouldn't even allow me to talk about Luke. Or you. When she heard you were still alive she had a mental breakdown."

Thalia shook her head. "It's okay. I deserve it." She tried for a smile. "Shall I explain?"

She sat down, her foot bouncing quickly, her finger tapping on her knee. She looked at the windows every few seconds, nervously biting her lip. "Okay quick recap: ran away, obviously you know this. about a week after, I was pursued by cloaked figures. They tried to kill me. So, yeah. I'm in a gang now."

Percy's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. "A gang, Thalia? Do you know how stupid that is? What if they find out you're Zeus' kid? They will kill you this time! Wait, you better not be involved with Gaea. This time, _I_ will kill you if Zeus doesn't get to you first."

"They already know who I am," She snapped, casting Percy an annoyed glance. "And Zeus _will not_ find out about this." There was a clear as day warning in her tone. "They're called the hunters. We've sworn off men for good. I wouldn't be surprised if they have eyes on me. That's why I couldn't risk coming around often. Especially you, Percy. They want to kill you."

"After Zoe, their second in command, died, they think you killed her. I'm their new second in command. They actually aren't that bad. Just a little strict. And too serious about their duties. If you get in the way of a hunter and her job, she will literally tear you apart." Thalia shrugged.

Percy kicked the cracked table, obviously frustrated. "Why did Artemis lie?"

Thalia's eyes gleamed. "She's the leader." Jason and Percy stared at her, shocked. Jason didn't know Artemis, or who she is, but he knew she was one of the 12 Olympians.

"Next question," Thalia stared at Jason, expecting him to ask. Judging from her grimace, she could already tell where the conversation was going. "Mom," He started. It sounded weird calling his mother anything but Beryl. She just seemed like a character, someone who only exists in the letter. Thinking of her anything other than a character in some make-believe story just seemed...weird.

Thalia snorted. "I would call her anything other than that. I took care of you, Jason, not her. Me."

Jason was silent for few seconds, trying to digest the thought of his sister taking care of him. "Mom would be either out with some guy, or downing her tenth bottle of beer for it to occur to her that she had two children waiting for her at home. We argued all the time, me with a baby at my hip. I only stayed because of you. When you disappeared...that was the last straw." Thalia's voice was thick with emotion. "The day she wrote the letter was one of her rare sober days. Even then she was so bitter she would completely ignore me. She would only complain about losing you, even if it was her fault."

Then a smile appeared on her face. "How do you think you got that scar?"

Jason touched the small scar on the left side of his upper lip. "I thought I was born with it or something." Thalia shook her head, still grinning. "You tried to eat a stapler."

_"No, dummy, staplers aren't food. Stop being so damn curious. Stupidity killed the cat, not curiosity. And that's what you are. Stupid." he could hear Thalia's voice saying that somewhere above him, along with the lighthearted laughter as he cried_.

Spooked, Jason stared at Thalia. Why were memories resurfacing all of a sudden?

"Wow, Jason. And I thought I was stupid." Percy said, laughing. "You are," Thalia says, rolling her eyes. Percy pouted, while Thalia and Jason laughed.

"Where is she?" He asked suddenly, all laughter dying. Thalia looked at the ground,remaining quiet. He repeated the question. "She.." Thalia's voice wavered. "There was a car accident. She was drunk driving."

Jason stared at Thalia, horror etched into his features. He had come all this way...

No. It didn't matter if his mother was dead. He had already found Thalia and that was enough. Besides, the way Thalia talked about her, he wasn't sure he even _wanted_ to meet her. And his father was completely out of the question, but sometime's Jason's curious mind wandered. Thalia made it clear that as far as she was concerned, she was an orphan.

"Jason..." Thalia sounded hesitant. Whatever she was going to say, she was obviously debating whether she would tell him or not. "Mom's not dead. She almost died in the accident. They managed to save her, but they placed her in a mental institution. She's unstable."

"How would you know?" He asked. He wasn't trying to be rude, but his mind was reeling and he couldn't care less about manners. "She could have changed for all you know. I want to see her."

Thalia shook her head. "C'mon, Thals! You don't have to see her. Just tell me where she is. Pleaaasssee." he begged, sounding like a little kid. After a few more minutes of begging and pleading, Thalia caved. "Fine! I'll have my sources give me a read on her location. But promise me you'll only go once. I don't want you around her." She sounded stern, like a a mother scolding a child.

He nodded. It didn't matter if he only got to see a picture of Beryl. He would be happy with whatever he could get. He hugged her tightly, thanking her repeatedly. "I'm glad I met you," he whispered. Sure, he sounded like a hormonal girl, but it didn't matter to Jason.

By the way Thalia flinched, he knew that had hit too close to home. He had only barely talked to her, but he felt like he knew her his whole life. But, to Thalia, it was her fault Jason disappeared, that she had left him alone with their mother. Jason had forgiven her immediately [as if he was going to be mad for something he had no idea happened] after he found out the truth, but after 16 years, she still hasn't forgiven herself. She lightly pushed off of him, nodding.

"Do you know Juno?" He asked, dragging Thalia's attention back. Her eyes darkened. Jason could just see the electricity crackling in her eyes, hatred radiating off her.

"THAT BITCH!" Both boys jumped back in surprise. Percy had warned him about Thalia's temper, but he couldn't really imagine it until now. It just seemed unrealistic to him. But now, very realistically, Thalia's face was red, her hands balled into fists. "I should have known she would stoop so low!"

"Juno?" Percy asked. Jason nodded. "My step-mother. Er, no, my...I don't even know what to call her."

"The psycho bitch who manipulated mom into giving Jason away!" Jason nodded. "Yeah, That."Percy looked away for a minute. "I remember her. She kidnapped me for eight months when I was 16. Zeus' ex-wife."

"Apparently Juno has a thing for kidnapping children." Jason shook his head in disgust. "Wait. Zeus' ex? I thought... who's Jupiter?"

"Zeus," Thalia said absentmindedly. She was still fuming, but he could tell she was starting to wind down. "It's his disguise. After he left mom, she was devastated, blah, blah, blah. Years later, he pitied her because he ruined her life. He wore a disguise so she wouldn't become attached to him. Zeus is your dad."

It took a minute to process that. Jason hadn't missed how she didn't say 'our dad'. He silently wondered what happened between them.

"So...my- our- dad is the leader of Olympus Industries? Juno isn't even even my stepmother? Percy is my cousin?" It was too much to take in. Even Percy was mulling this over. "Jason is my long lost cousin. Hmm..."

Thalia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jason, I know I missed 16 ears of your life, but I want to be there for the rest. It was my fault I didn't keep an eye on you. As you can see, recently, I haven't let you out of my sight. And I never will."

"Creepy," Percy muttered, turning away. Thalia glared at him. "And don't worry about Juno. I'll take care of her." That statement slightly worried Jason, but he didn't care what happened to the old bastard.

"Percy, tell Nico I said hi. And you're doing a horrible job at introducing Jason to the others, by the way." She shook her head. Thalia walked to the base of the staircase and looked up, but didn't dare go up the steps. "Annie?" She called out softly. Annabeth hovered at the top, looking like she was having a hard time with Thalia's presence. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking that day. Please forgive me. I love you." Silently, tears streamed down Annabeth's face, but she made no attempt at moving. Thalia nodded. "I understand."

She hugged both Jason and Percy, lingering for a few moments. She slipped a piece of paper into Jason's hand as she passed. "Keep in contact." She slipped out of the door.

"Is she gone?" Annabeth squeaked.

Jason sat on the couch. His mind was racing. Everything had changed. Who knew; curiosity can seriously get you into trouble. But it wasn't curiosity that killed the cat. Stupidity did. Curiosity was framed.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys! How was that chapter? Before any of you start panicking, no the story is not over. I just thought it would be nice to not leave you with a cliffhanger for once. You know, I just realized that every time you see Annabeth, she's crying. Sorry if she's too OOC**

**Almost 2,000 views!XD Sure, only 61 views on the last chapter and 17 reviews, but 2,000 reviews! *Squeals* I would be the happiest writer on earth if everyone writes a review.**

**I'm not sure if I'm doing it right, but shoutouts to: Lea Valdez, itinging, Jasper101, Alxgrace, amyheroesofolympus, CluCluPerliaLover4Ever, BunnyFromAbove,and KingRiordanQueenRowling. Keep reviewing :)**

**NOW LET THE JASPER COMMENCE! Hopefully you guys caught my little hint at the beginning of the chapter. Now, I beg you not to kill me if this story plummets. Because I suck at romance. **

**Rate and Review!**

**~greakfreak302**


	10. Lost memories

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

* * *

"You're doing it again." Piper said staring at the flowers and trees in awe. Since it was fall, all the colors had started changing. Some were bare, but absolutely beautiful in the sunlight, while others were a variety of colors- reds, pinks, orange, yellows, and green.

But Jason barely had time to notice the beauty of nature. No, he was staring at Piper, wondering how it was possible for someone to look so beautiful in ripped jeans and a flannel t-shirt. Even thought it was clear Piper disliked the attention, she deserved it. And she obviously wasn't getting enough praise from her boyfriend. But it wasn't her beauty that Jason liked so much about her. He didn't know why, but it seemed like as much as she tried to downplay her beauty, she was even more radiant.

"Doing what?" Jason snapped out of his trance, finally realizing Piper had said something. "Staring at me," she said nonchalantly, but her shoulders were tense. Jason's face flushed. He wasn't going to even try denying it.

Oops. Jason hadn't meant to stare at her, and he had no idea she knew."Sorry," He mumbled.

There were a few moments of awkward silence. She turned to him. "Are you going to the Halloween party tomorrow night?" Jason blinked. No one had told him there was a Halloween party. Piper studied his baffled look, then explained. "They're closing the Argo II this weekend. We're having a costume party exclusively for employees only."

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It might give me a chance to meet everyone." Piper rolled her eyes, then laughed. "I guess Percy hasn't been doing a good job at showing you everyone."

The past few days, Percy had brought Jason around introducing him to few people. He had finally met the infamous Nico, who was just an emo looking 17-year-old boy, Hazel's half-brother. He had also gotten to meet Reyna- for the second time- , as well as Hazel's boyfriend, Frank Zhang. The guy was tall and bulky, and kind of intimidating when you first see him but when Jason met him, it was obvious the Chinese-Canadian boy posed no threat. "I only met a few people."

"How was your meeting with Thalia?"

"Wha- how...who...?" He couldn't even form a coherent thought. He hadn't told Piper anything on the matter of his family, or his past life{though he was skeptical; she seemed to know some things}. His suspicions were confirmed when she laughed.

"Annabeth is my best friend. You wouldn't think she would tell me things?" And now Jason felt stupid. "Oh. I guess that would make sense."

"Are you doing okay, though? It's a pretty big deal when you find out your mother is still alive." She looked down with a pained look on her face. Jason put a hand on his shoulder. He had learned a while ago not to ask questions. Silently, he led her to the shade, sitting down under the base of an oak tree. He watched her as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, reflecting on the memories.

Now, watching Piper, she looked so familiar it hurt. Looking at this wonderful, down to earth girl and only remembering her face frustrated him to no end, especially since Piper was more than just a pretty face.

_"Piper, I don't think we're supposed to be up here." He bit his lip as he followed her out into the cold Nevada night air. The door shut behind him, a quiet clicking noise following. He turned and tried to open the heavy metal door, but it wouldn't budge._

_Piper rolled her eyes and gave him a sly grin. "You always listen to the rules, Jason. Where has that gotten you? It's time to live a little." She gestured to the open sky before them. _

_Considering the mess, Jason guessed students came here often. Near the edge of the roof, a blanket lay, along with a picnic basket. "We're having a picnic on the roof in the middle of the night? That's what you call living?"_

_Piper thought about it, then nodded. "That's as much as they'll let us do. This place is like a prison. In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much sources of fun around here. I'm sure the vice principal knows everyone comes up here, but he lets us hold onto that bit of freedom. If the dean catches any of us, he'll place us in dorm arrest. That isn't much, especially considering no one can get expelled."_

_Jason remained silent. Piper grabbed his hand and gently led him over to the blanket. "I come up here all the time. It's so beautiful. Especially at night." They sat together at the edge, staring at the sky full of stars, feet playing footsie as they spoke. As it gradually grew darker and colder, Piper leaned into his chest, shuddering. That's when he realized she was only wearing a tank top and her pajama pants. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close into his warmth._

_A she stared in the sky in awe, he stared at her in wonder. How had he possibly managed to snag such a wonderful girl like Piper? He seriously did not deserve her. Piper kept saying it was the other way around, how a loser like her had managed to attract the attention of the 'golden boy'._

_Finally realizing she was being watched, Piper inclined her head, multicolored eyes staring back at him. He could stare at them for days. Almost every second they change, as if it were a trick of the light. One minute they'd be blue, then green, then brown. "Jason?" She whispered._

_"Yeah?" he whispered back. He wanted to be in this moment forever, nothing in the world but he and Piper. _

_"I...I think I'm on love with someone." Jason's heart froze. Was she breaking up with him? Was this the reason he had brought him up here? One last good thing before it ends? Who was this guy anyways? Was it Leo? He could tell the two were close, but it always seemed like a brother-sister type relationship; it never occured to him that it could be romantic. How long had they been-_

_"Oh yeah?" He asked lamely, interrupting his mental freak-out. "Who's the lucky guy?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "Gods, Jason, you're so dense. It's you, idiot. It's you. It's always had been and it always will be." She leaned up and kissed him. Jason was so caught off guard he lost balance. Before he could fall to his death, Piper put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Whoa, there. Don't go dying on me now."_

_Stunned, Jason stared at her. Finally he managed to muster up the courage to say it. "I love you too. I don't care what you say, you're perfect. You're the perfect girl for me. No one will compare to you, Piper. I've been a slave for your love since day one." She close her eyes as he buried her in kisses. A smile was on her face, growing wider with every kiss. He knew it sounded cliché and lame, but it was all he could do to express his growing love for her. _

_"Jason, you make me feel loved. Wanted. Needed. I can't imagine living without you. I know I'm only fifteen, but I've never felt as much certainty of this. I love you. I will forever love you."_

_"McLean, I will always be there for you no matter what."_

_"Promise?"_

_"I swear on the Styx."_

Jason blinked. Ever since seeing Thalia, memories had started hijacking him and taking him on involuntary trips. It was as if the sight of a forgotten face had triggered memories. Certain ones were longer than the others, but that sprinkle of a sea of memories were always there, waiting for their turn at drowning him in the past.

His surroundings finally set in, and he realized that he had totally zoned out on Piper. "I'm here to listen if you're willing to talk," He offered, taking her hand lightly. Startled, Piper's eyes went to their entwined hands, staring at him with an indecipherable expression. She seemed to be lost in the memories too.

She nodded slightly. "My mom walked out on my dad and I when I was a baby. The only time I'd think about her was when I'd catch my dad staring at her picture sadly, a tear streaming down his face. I hated her for the pain he caused my dad. He didn't deserve it, and from what he'd say, she had all the pleasures of the world. Would it hurt to stay with your child? Or maybe leaving an explanation for _why_ she left?"

While Piper vented off her anger and her deepest thoughts, she stared at their hands sadly. Longingly.

She shook her head. "I just don't get it! Why would she leave? Walk out on a guy who loved her deeply? Not to forget he had to provide for a baby girl and himself on the streets. It's not right." So far, her dad's story sounded like his mother's, how someone important found an interest in a commoner, then leaving them devastated, poor, and with their hands full with a baby.

"How much pain she caused him, Jason." She sounded heart-broken. Jason squeezed her hand, trying to convey his understanding through touch. "Then he became famous. He would get acting jobs, taking any role but a Native American one. She changed him, made him feel humiliated for who he actually was. I hated her for that.

"He would always be busying himself, accepting movie requests, interviews, hosting award shows. He hides himself behind that smile of his, acting like everything is okay. He was trying to convince himself. All the while, I watched him be someone he's not. I tried to compete for his attention, but that only ended up with me stealing a BMW and ending up in the Wilderness school." At the name of the school, she looks into his eyes and studies them, searching for any sign of recognition.

"After I was let out of the Wilderness school, he neglected me even more. I knew he was hurting, but he was going to extremes to make it stop. A few weeks after being home I found out my mom had reached out to him. After fifteen fucking years...maybe it's because he was no longer Native American trash, but the king of actors now.

"That summer, he shipped me off to New York to spend 'quality time' with her. She's not as bad as I thought she was, but I still hold some resentment towards her. She has a husband now- Leo's dad. She's cheating on him, though. And she has other children. Aphrodite: the Olympian owner of the beauty branches, a woman who was married off to an Olympian, a girlfriend of yet another Olympian, and many children. Who knew my mother was such an attention whore?"

She shook her head. Piper seemed like the opposite of her mother; she hated the attention, hated her beauty and tried to downplay it a much as possible. Almost as if reading her mind, she mouthed off about her mother. "Aphrodite is a conceited, narcissistic, vein, blank-minded, vengeful bitch. But, as I regret to say, I still love her."

She looked at him. "I hope your meeting with your mom wont be as bad a mine."

Jason hook his head. "I don't think that's possible. After meeting Thalia and hearing all those stories about what a horrible mother she was...I'm not sure if I'm ready. I think I've already started hating her. But I do want to meet her, though."

"Jason, at least try to see it from her point of view. Don't be close-mined just because you've heard one side of the story."

Not wanting to talk about his mother, he changed the subject. "Can you tell me what happened at Wilderness school?"

Piper looked away, pulling her hand from his. "I remember the first day you came. Juno sent you because she kept claiming you had a rebellious streak and destroyed her stuff. You kept claiming that wasn't true, but in the end you were enrolled in the school for delinquents."

She smiled, recalling a few memories. "When Leo put blue dye in your shampoo, you grinned and told him he had caught you off guard and did a nice job. You praised him as the king of pranks. He had meant it as initiation and to get the school's 'golden boy' riled up, but instead you humored him. You guys were best friends ever since." She laughed.

"We were the 'Lost trio', or so we called ourselves. The crazy pyromaniac, the kleptomaniac, and the perfectionist. No one could touch either of us, without facing the wrath of the other two. Leo especially. He would always go pranking the wrong people a the wrong time. We always had to go save his sorry ass. Then there was this guy who once tried to kill Leo. He had a thing for me, and tried to force me into a relationship. You came to my rescue. Who knew that could bond two people. But it did. We... " A blush colored her cheeks. She ducked her head to hide her face. "We started dating." Piper had said it so quietly he doubted he heard right.

He already knew this, and after seeing the flashback, he wanted to knew what happened to him. To them.

"What happened? I mean, how did I end up back with Juno?"

Piper's eyes darkened. "We were at a trip to the Grand Canyon. Let's just say that we were 'attacked' by a few dudes with loaded guns. After everyone went in, we stayed at the back of the line. They somehow managed to lock us out on the Skywalk. They shot at Leo, causing him to lose balance. He fell over the railing. One of them broke my arm. As I was losing consciousness, I watched you fight two at a time. They pushed you to the ground and repeatedly slam your head against the glass until you blacked out.

"When they finally managed to open the doors, they rescued Leo, who was sitting on a narrow ledge. They couldn't find your body, though. We all thought you were dead. Everyone was sad, but I was heart broken. And then a few days later, Juno calls and says that you're fine and you're happy without us. She then tells us to stay away from you or she will hunt us down and kill us herself."

Okay, Jason knew Juno had issues, but this was beyond crossing the line. She was so far past it that it no longer existed.

"And then you show up after years and act like nothing's happened. So Leo and I concluded that you had- or still have- amnesia. It's the only conclusions we can think of. Unless..." Through a pained look Piper studies him, searching for something. "you actually left us. Left me."

* * *

"Bye Jason!" Hazel gave him a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow night, right?"

He nodded. "What's your costume?" Hazel bit her lip, twirling a strand of hair. "I'm not really sure...but I've been thinking of something from the early 1900's." He nodded again. Hazel seemed old fashioned. She'd consider kissing scandalous, and anything past that, she'd get all flustered, fanning her face and near passing out. And in an Apple store, she once fainted because she felt 'overwhelmed' by the electronics.

"Sounds like a good idea. Fit's your personality." After bidding her goodbye, he started counting the money in the cashier. He had been put in charge of closing, against his wishes, by Octavian. The scrawny assistant manager had yelled at him for mixing an order, then embarrassed him in front of everyone. Jason hated him with all his heart, almost as much as he hated Juno. He wanted revenge, but he knew he would surely be fired if he even laid a hand on Octavian.

He hated closing, especially since it was always so quiet, leaving Jason with nothing but his thoughts as company. Today was not the case.

He heard a few noises coming from the back. But that didn't make sense. He was the only one here, right? It could be Dionysus or Octavian getting ready to leave, or it could be a thief.

As he got closer to the kitchen, he could hear muffled voices. He walked through the kitchen to the Rec room, which was the employee's break room. True to it's name, the room was a wreck , with broken furniture in one corner, along with trash and dust on the floor. And old ping pong table was in the center of the room and there were a few vending machines on the wall.

When Jason finally got to the old wooden door with its paint chipping off, he found out that they were not, in fact, voices, but noises. He could hear pants and groans, along with string of curses.

His hand hovered over the door knob. He didn't want to go in, but it was 'his obligation as an employee' or something like that crap that Octavian had said for any situation that needed to be scoped out. Warily, Jason opened the door slowly, prepared for fight.

But what he was not prepared for was to see _that_.

Piper, clad in only underwear, was practically attached to Dylan, heatedly kissing him. Dylan, shirtless, was kissing her back with equal passion, practically pawing at her boobs. And the moment Jason opened the door just_ had_ to be the moment she unclasps her bra.

Dylan's back is to him, and he continuously kisses her, not noticing she had stopped kissing back. Over his shoulder she stared at him, terror and shame in her eyes. Jason didn't feel mad. Why would he? He just felt...nothing. After this morning, he thought they had gotten somewhere, but apparently not. After getting the memory back...he knew what it felt like to love and to be loved.

Apparently it was a lie. But why should he care? He and Piper _are not dating_.

_Anymore,_ a voice in his head reminded.

Running a hand through his hair, he turned his back on the couple. "I guess that means I'm free for the night. Close up when you're done."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys! Let me just stop and tell you that I love you all. I'm pretty sure that everyone ignores my author's notes, but I'll still write them for absolutely no reason.**

**I know I suck at explanations, but now is it less confusing with the whole 'Jason in Nevada' thing?**

**And, I know I just dabbed on the subject, but the Olympians aren't gods.**

**They are very powerful humans who work at Olympus Industries, created by Zeus Olympia. Each of the Olympians are major branch owners, like cosmetics, politics, art, music, alcohol, machinery, and more. They use code names, as in the 12 Olympians' names. Some of the names are actually their own, like Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite...**

**Zeus created the cafe for the children of the Olympians, or any of the children of the smaller branch owners. It was because so many of them didn't want to go into the business world like their parents, but they needed a job until they do. So most of them come and go, but some quit and find work somewhere else. **

**Percy used to work in the cafe, but started working with Poseidon when he was 17. He's now Zeus's second-in-commandish. He was offered to be a minor branch owner in his father's domain, but declined (like he did in the Last Olympian). Annabeth works as her mother's assistant-type person.  
**

**Wow. The funny thing is, I just made a whole background story to my story in a matter of 5 minutes. A new record. **

**Rate and review!**

**~greekfreak302**


	11. Halloween

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

* * *

"Jason!" Rachel gave him a hug. As soon as he entered the room, he had been bombarded by people. He was sure that the cafe didn't have that many employees, so they must have had a +1 invitation -which Jason didn't know about.

Even though he was late, the party didn't look like it was anywhere near ending. In fact, it looked like it had just gotten started.

Rachel pulled back, then looked him over. "Superman. Nice." She grinned. Rachel was wearing a body hugging black dress, along with heels, a choker, and fangs. She had put a wig over her head to hide her unruly hair. Her eyes were literally a glowing green. Along with the flawless ivory skin, she truly looked like a vampire.

"Not so bad yourself." She grabbed his hand and lead him deeper into the room. The music was so deafening, he couldn't hear a word she was saying. Once Jason found faces he actually recognized, he started to relax a little. It was a little overwhelming with all that people. If he had stayed in the center, aka the dance floor where they had cleared out all the chairs, he would have surely been trampled.

He snorted when he saw Percy's costume. Percy had gone all out and dressed like Aquaman- tight, trident, blonde hair and all. Percy grinned and fist bumped Jason. "Justice League." He laughed when he saw Nico. The boy was dressed as batman, his face hidden by the mask. Apparently Jason hadn't gotten the memo that they were going as part of the Justice League, but he was glad he went as Superman.

Nico glared at Percy menacingly. "You forced me to wear this costume! I wanted to go a a zombie, but you-"

"Haha, enough of that." Percy interrupted, smiling.

Annabeth had dressed like Hermione Granger, with a wand and everything. The weird part is, she actually _did_ look like Hermione. Reyna dressed as a Roman praetor, with a purple toga, with a golden breastplate underneath and a sword at her waist. And Hazel, true to her word, was dressed as a 1920's flapper, jewelry adjourning her neck, hands, and hair. A long, unlit cigar was in her mouth. She smiled at Jason, but it looked like she was going to be sick.

Leo was at one of the refreshments table, dressed as Ironman, flirting with one of the employees, Calypso.

Piper was dressed as a Greek maiden, her gorgeous hair cascading down her shoulder in intricate curls. A golden laurel wreath was woven into it, almost looking like a crown. She wore an off the shoulder white dress, a bejeweled silver belt on her waist. She looked like a goddess. The only thing that prevented Jason from staring at her was Dylan, who was glaring at everyone looking in their way.

Jason had to force himself to look away, focusing on everyone else's costumes. Percy and Annabeth went over to the refreshment table, Nico disappeared- almost literally disappeared- , and Rachel ran off, grinning from ear to ear.

Hazel sighed contentedly. "Everyone looks so happy. They deserve the distraction. Especially you, Jason." He had worked all day this week for extra pay, from 5:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Occasionally he'd have to stay later to lock up, like yesterday.

_Yesterday_.

Since yesterday he had thought about what had happened, analyzing over every detail of what he had possibly missed. He hadn't noticed it before, but Piper had bruises peppering her body, along with scratches and scrapes. If Dylan laid so much as a finger on Piper, he would-

"Earth to Jason!" Hazel yelled, shaking him. "What's wrong? You looked...murderous. Are you okay?"

"Wha- oh. Yeah, I'm fine." Hazel looked unconvinced, but she nodded anyways. Annabeth dragged a sulking Percy towards them, rolling her eyes as he complained about something. When they got closer, she shoved him into them, huffing. "They didn't have blue candy, Annabeth!" Percy whined, pulling on her arm like a little kid.

"Blue...candy?" Jason asked, confused. "Don't even get him started," Annabeth muttered under her breath. Percy glared at her and she rolled her eyes once again. "He eats only blue foods. I honestly don't know how you've been in the apartment for over a month yet don't see any of the blue foods."

It made sense- kind of. Jason had seen a whole cabinet full of blue food dye, but never asked what that was about.

"Jason, this is Apollo, my boyfriend." Rachel said. He turned and saw Rachel standing next to a tall blonde dude with a perfect tan and sculpted features. Apollo wore a golden breastplate, with a very realistic bow and quiver. He smiled dazzlingly and a few girls nearby sighed. Percy gave Apollo a man hug and they talked as if they were brothers.

"He's the Olympian of music." Rachel explained. He nodded. She said something else that he couldn't hear. "Say that again?" She avoided his eyes. Annabeth, obviously impatient, butted in. "He's also your brother."

Apollo grinned and stuck out his hand. "Half-brother. No offense, but I'm sure father doesn't even remember you exist. He's too preoccupied worrying about Thalia. Oh, and I have a twin sister. She should be around here somewhere..."

Jason was too stunned to speak. He hadn't met his father, but at least now he knew his father was a man-whore. No wonder why he'd left his mom.

* * *

As the night went on, Jason felt less and less festive. He was too consumed in thoughts to socialize.

So he had many other siblings whom he had no idea about. His mom was in a mental institution. His sister was the leader of an all girls gang. There was a possibility Piper was being abused.

How has his life gotten to this? He remembered when he was nine, when he had thought there was nothing he could do to get away from Juno. He had felt small and powerless against her, that he could do nothing about the situation he was in. This was how he felt now. He felt insignificant and helpless against all the obstacles throwing themselves in his way.

Angrily, he punched the table.

He heard a laugh. Looking up, he saw Piper smiling down at him. "Relax, Superman. Come dance with me." She held out a hand. Reluctantly, he took it.

"I'm willing to forget if you are," She whispered. "Piper, does he-"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She stared ahead and walked with him to the dance floor. "About yesterday-"

"Yesterday? What happened yesterday?" Jason sighed. He wasn't going to let it go, but he could tell Piper didn't want to talk about it. So he nodded. "It's forgotten." She smiled at him.

Jason could not dance for his life.

Piper kept trying to subdue laughter, to no avail. "You look like you have two left feet." She nearly laughed for five minutes straight. Jason waited impatiently, a faint smile on his lips. "Are you done laughing at me?"

Piper straightened up. "Right. Sorry." They continued dancing. Piper looked like she was uncomfortable in her heels, every few seconds wincing. "Not that I don't like your costume, but why that? It doesn't seem like something you'd wear."

She sighed. "This is all courtesy of Aphrodite. She went all out and insisted I wear this. I had already planned to go as something else, but she destroyed my costume at the last minute and replaced it with this." She gestured to her costume. "Aphrodite is a conniving and deceptive bastard. But she my mom, so I guess I have to deal with it."

He laughed. They continued dancing and talking for a few hours, only stopping at the refreshment table a few times.

Piper stopped laughing and stared at something over his shoulder, loathing and fear in her eyes. Jason felt a hand on his shoulder. As soon as he turned, he was met with a fist to the face.

He didn't react. Instead, he just stared at Dylan. Dylan, furious, goes in t punch Jason again. That's when it starts to sink in that he had been punched. He tackled Dylan to the ground, trying to get the upper hand.

Dylan grabbed a plate and smashed it over Jason's head, forcing him to the ground. He bit Dylan's arm and the boy cried out, allowing Jason to escape the choke hold.

Unfortunately, Dylan shoved Jason off of himself, pining Jason down. His strength surpassed Jason's by far. As Jason struggled to break free, Dylan repeatedly hit Jason in the face. "Don't," Punch. "Touch," Kick. "My," slap. "Girlfriend." Dylan spit in his face. "Again." Dylan stood up and started walking away. Even though Jason was weak, he refused to let Dylan walk away unscathed.

He grabbed Dylan's leg an tugged as hard as he could. Dylan's leg pulled from right beneath them, causing the boy to fall flat on his face- hard. Jason turned the boy's body over, inspecting him. Deciding that he wasn't hurt enough for the pain he caused Piper, Jason kicked him in the stomach repeatedly, until Dylan started coughing blood.

It finally occurred to him that a crowd had formed, some trying to break up the fight, others encouraging the violence. Piper was yelling and screaming at both of them to stop.

"Jason," her voice sounded shaky. "get away from Dylan." she commanded. Shame washed over him as he backed up, read to attack if needed. Dylan looked like he was close to losing consciousness, but he still tried to get to Jason. Several people had to hold him back.

When his eyes met with Piper's he hung his head in shame. After all, Leo had warned him. He should have stayed away from Piper.

* * *

Jason went into the kitchen, grabbing a rag and putting ice in it. He winced as he put it on his eye.

Because he had gotten into a fight with a non-employee, Octavian had yelled at him and placed him on cleaning duty. When Jason tried to argue that it was Dylan's actions that started the fight, the assistant manager had yelled at him in front of everyone. Asshole.

Dylan had walked away with a bloody mouth, a few bruises, and a bite mark on his arm. Jason waked away with a black eye, a broken wrist, several cuts and bruises, and a gash at the back of his head.

A loud sobbing nose brought his attention away from tending to his wounds. He looked to the Rec room door, where the source of the noise was coming from. he knocked softly and he heard a soft gasp, then the crying altogether stopped. "Yes?" The person asked, obviously trying not to cry.

Jason opened the door slowly.

Piper sat on the dirty floor of the Rec room, her hair messed up, mascara running and eyes blood-shot. She clutched her face and her lip trembled. She looked away as Jason sat next to her on the floor.

"What happened?" He asked softly. "Dylan, he..." her voice caught and she couldn't finish her sentence. Her voice failed and she grabbed Jason and sobbed into his chest. He didn't mind that his costume was getting stained by makeup. He wrapped and arm around her, soothingly telling her reassuring words.

Piper's cheek was split open, a bruise starting to form under her eye. "I swear I'm gonna kill that coward." He trembled with fury. Piper's voice cut through his rage, and he looked down at her. "I don't need saving a second time, Superman. I can handle myself. He hit me, and I fought back," She said quietly.

Jason didn't know how to reply to that. "You know how I told you that we...got together because of a guy trying to force himself on me?" Jason nodded once. "It was Dylan. A few years after I left the Wilderness school, I bumped into him while doing an errand for my mother. I thought he had changed." She shook her head. "I really did. And I was a fool for thinking someone a horrible as him could ever change, or be capable of loving someone. I only started dating him because...I needed a distraction."

"A distraction from what?"

Piper refused to look him in the eyes. "From you."

"Oh," Jason stated plainly.

"Like my dad, I needed a distraction from the heartbreak. I didn't want to turn out like him. I didn't want to use guys so I could get over a heart break. I tried to love him, I really did, but I couldn't. When he found out...he started hitting me. He would slap me, then apologize over and over and say he loves me. And every time I would go back to him just because I was scared of facing the truth- Jason Grace is gone and he's happy without me. I thought my world was over when you disappeared, but I forced myself to keep going. The only reason I stayed with him was out of pity for him and myself. But now know that enough is enough. I refuse to keep going like this."

They sat in silence. "Piper, You deserve so much better than that bastard."

"Like who?" She asked. "The last guy I loved disappeared on me then shows up years later acting like everything is fine. He forgot about me. He forgot about us." Bitterness seeped into her tone.

Jason sighed. "Piper, look at me." When she didn't, he gently put his uninjured hand on her chin and turned her head to look up at him. "I haven't forgotten," he whispered. Piper stubbornly stuck out her lip. "Prove it."

"McLean, I will always be there for you no matter what." Tears welled in her eyes. "Promise?" Her voice caught.

"I swear on the Styx."

Piper enveloped him in a bear hug. When she pulled back, her captivating eyes studied him. She leaned in and place her lips on his longingly. When they pulled apart, she grinned. "I've missed you."

* * *

**A/N**

**Don't kill me! I know Rachel is supposed to be an eternal maiden, but I had no idea how to say she belonged to Apollo without making it sound weird. **

**Anyways, the Jasper had begun. I'm not sure if any of you care, but Jason will meet his mother soon. Next chapter will most likely be a filler. **

**I'm thinking about starting a Percabeth story soon. Whadya think? Should I? Or should I just focus on this story? write a review or P.M. me your opinion.**

**Thank you for following, favoriting, reviewing and reading my story. **

**~greekfreak302**


	12. Platonic

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**A/N: this chapter is kind of a filler, yet still important to what goes on next.**

* * *

Piper pulled back ,panting heavily. She searched his eyes for something, then shook her head. She untangled her body from his, scooting away from him. She looked away, lost in thought.

Jason, still confused, rubbed the back of his neck. Had he done something wrong? Did he put his hands on the wrong place? Did his breath smell? Was he a horrible kisser? Does she regret kissing him?Oh no. What if she actually _did_ want to go back to Dylan? What if he had just taken advantage of her lonely state? That would mean he technically forced himself on her. Piper could press charges. Well, she had kissed him first and- No! HE COULD FREAKING GO TO JAIL!

Piper glanced at him then returned her gaze back to her feet. She hesitated and took a second look at him and then laughed. _She freaking laughed_. "What?" he snapped, sounding harsher than intended. She covered her mouth to smother the giggles. "Sorry. Just the look on our face- priceless! What were you even thinking about?"

A blushed formed on his cheeks. "Nothing," he mumbled. When he regained his wits, he stared at her. "What about you? What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I just...I don't think this is right." She gestured between the two of them. Jason's heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. So she did regret this happening. He didn't know when his heart had had time to start acquiring feelings for Piper McLean, but he didn't care. He knew his feelings run deep, and Piper's went even deeper. It had only been five days. Not nearly enough time to start falling in love with someone, but obviously his heart found a way.

Probably seeing his crestfallen face, she lightly put a hand on his arm. "Not like that. I mean, yes, I want...you, but I think it's just too weird right now. I don't want to rush a relationship with you Jason. I've just gotten used to the fact that you left and now you're actually here...I don't know what to do. Yes, I still love you- gods, more than you know- but I think it's too soon."

This is probably the crap all guys here from girls. 'I don't want to rush things...' and garbage like that. It's clear she doesn't want to be with him, so _why can't she say tha_t?! He jerked his arm from her grip. "How many times do I have to say that I didn't choose to leave you?! I was forced to, and you know that, Piper. I wouldn't do that to you." He got off the bed and walked to the door as she continued talking behind him.

She nodded sadly. "I know. I was an idiot to convince myself that. But I need time. I'm sorry. Can we be," she held out her hand,"fiends? Strictly platonic. For now a least?" He could her the pleading in her tone.

He hesitated. He could very well walk out and leave Piper in her apartment, giving her her answer, or he could agree like an idiot.

He turned slowly. Did he really want this? He wanted Piper, and maybe this was another approach. He could tell every passing second was breaking her. If he left... he would break her heart. Again. But, no, this wasn't about pity. It was about what she wanted. What he wanted. This was a way to prove to Piper how bad he wanted her and show her that he wouldn't leave again. Not voluntarily, at least.

He heard her sharp intake of breath. Slowly, Jason walked back to Piper, slipping his hand into hers. He nodded.

Relief flooded into her eyes and she jumped up, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, so much Jason. I am so so sorry. We'll make this work." He nodded absentmindedly. "Sure." He hugged her tighter, not wanting to let her go. He waned to kiss her so bad; but apparently he couldn't, since they were 'friends' now.

* * *

"Guess who's the boy on fire!" Leo yelled, tugging on Jason's arm.

Jason, irritated, continued to take orders, smiling at customers. He tried his hardest to ignore the Latino, but it was like trying to ignore a persistent little kid. They were receiving several weird looks from strangers; Jason was not going to risk getting reprimanded by Octavian.

"What, Leo," he said through gritted teeth. Leo grinned. "Guess who's the boy on fire!" he said again. "You need to stop watching Hunger games. It's the 'girl on fire', Leo." His tone was that of an adult trying to be patient with a child.

Leo put a hand on his chin, pondering the possibility. "No...I don't thinks so. She stole that from me. Ask me why I'm the boy on fire!" He hit Jason in the arm, pleading him to ask.

"Excuse me, am I going to get service anytime soon?" a customer asked. He nodded. "One moment, ma'am. I'll send someone your way." He grabbed Leo's ear and dragged the boy away. On his way to the Rec room, he asked Will Solace to cover his shift for a few minutes.

"Ask ,me!"

"Fine! Why are you the boy on fire?"

Leo grinned flirtatiously. "I'm so hot I'm on ladies cant handle the heat!" he whooped loudly. Jason rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Leo? This is why you're bothering me?" He turned to walk away, but Leo grabbed his arm once again.

"Fine, fine I'll tell you. After ages and ages of asking, I finally agreed to go out with Calypso." After pointed look, Leo sighed. "Fine; she finally said yes. But she only said no all those other times because she couldn't handle my radiance. All da ladies love Leo." He grinned.

"I'm really happy for you, but I have to get back to my shift .So should you."

"We're going ice skating."

"And this involves me how...?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes at Jason. "A double date, dummy. Get your girlfriend to come along with us."

"What? No, we aren't- we're not- she's not my girlfriend. Piper and I are just friends. " Leo gave him a look saying 'really?' "Sure, Jason. Like I don't see how you guys look at each other. Please go with us. For me, man."

"Why? Aren't you totally head over heels for Calypso? Why do you need us? It'll just ruin the mood."

"I don't know what to say. Please, Jason." Leo gave him the doe eyes. Finally he caved, sighing. Leo, knowing he won, brightened. "Thanks, dude. I owe you big time."

"Fine, but it's not a double date."

Grumbling, Jason returned to the front room, grabbing his note pad. As he passed by Piper, he took her hand and led her into a corner. Caught off guard, she blinked. "What's up, Jason? Need something?"

Reluctantly, he nodded. "Um...yeah." Awkwardly, he rubbed the back of his neck. Why had he agreed to this? "Do you...want to go ice skating with- I mean- no - Leo - Argh!" He stumbled over his own words. He took a deep breath. "Okay, let me start over. Leo wants us to tag along on his date with Calypso. Will you go with me-us?"

Smiling, Piper stood on her toes and ran a hand through his hair affectionately. "It's cute when you fumble over your words. And, yes I would love to go on a dat- ice skating with you-er, Leo and Calypso." A grin broke out onto her beautiful face. Jason's world stopped. He felt like, in that moment, Piper _was_ his world. Nothing else mattered. Light caramel skin, heart shaped face, bow shaped full red lips, captivating eyes, choppy mahogany hair framing her face...perfection. Piper was the epitome of perfection, flaws and all. Her lips were moving but he heard no words. All he could think about was how hard he had fallen for Piper in a matter of over 30 days.

He finally snapped out of his daze when she gently shook his arm, calling out his name. "You alright, Jason? You look a little pale." Despite her concerned tone, she looked nothing but elated. No matter how hard she tried, she never stopped beaming.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. So...I'll see you there tomorrow? Or should I just come your apartment? Because, It's no-"

She shut him up by a kiss on the cheek. "You're rambling. I'll meet you guys there, okay? I'll be looking forward to it." She turned to walk away, but then paused. Whirling, she placed a ghost of a kiss on his lips then started walking away. As if second thought, she called out, "Platonic!" over her shoulder. He watched as she walked back into the din of the cafe, a slight skip in her step.

Jason, still slightly dazed, turned and ran into the bathroom, slamming the stall door behind him. "YES!" He punched the wall. He was too ecstatic to register any pain. "I HAVE A DATE WITH PIPER MCLEAN!" He slid down the wall, running his hands through his hair.

He'd have to remember to thank Leo soon.

A mop of curly hair popped up over the stall wall. "I thought you said it wasn't a double date?" Leo grinned mischievously. Jason stood up and pushed Leo's head away from the wall. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "It's not a date, Valdez."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," he interrupted, still not being able to stop smiling. Forget what he'd said earlier about thanking Leo.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hey guys, I know this chapter kinda sucks, but it's important for the next chapter(which, I promise, will be better).**

**I'm so excited! I'll be starting my new story soon. I would very much appreciated it if some of you read *hint, hint*. **

**Rate and review**

**~greekfreak302 **


	13. Fires and ruined dates

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

* * *

**Piper's Pov**

"OH MY FUCKING GODS, help me!" Piper demanded. She turned to her roommate, who was watching her with a bemused expression, a faint smile on her face. "Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, wipe that smug look off your face or so help me-"

"What will you do?" She dared, raising an eyebrow. She checked her watch. "You're already 27 minutes late. I imagine Jason would be freaking out by now. Wouldn't want to waste extra time threatening people, would you?"

Piper sighed in defeat. "Please help me, Reyna. Please," She pleaded. Normally Piper wouldn't care about her appearance, but this was different. She was going on a date. With Jason freaking Grace.

Well, no, technically it wasn't a date, but this was as close to one they'd ever get. It was her fault, anyways. She was afraid and she pushed him away. Piper didn't know what she was expecting, but she certainly didn't expect him to agree with her. It kind of stung how he hadn't really put up a fight. Did he not want to date her? Was she not good enough?

'_Okay, shut up, Piper. You're overthinking things._' She thought.

That' all she's ever done with Jason; overthink. He made her feel beautiful and self conscious all at the same time. He made her think like a teenaged girl, no matter how hard she'd try not to. He changed her; it was infuriating. Yet she still loved it. Every time she was around him and she'd think petty thoughts, like 'what if he was thinking of another girl', or 'do I look pretty enough?' But then he'd look at her in that...way, and he'd feel loved. Wanted. Needed.

Nothing like she's ever felt with Dylan.

Jarring Piper from her thoughts, Reyna held up a sweatshirt. "I don't understand what the big deal is. It's just ice skating, not a runway show." She threw it at Piper.

And so, she ended up wearing an over-sized sweatshirt, black leggings, and boots. As she was braiding a long blue feather into her hair, she called out to Reyna. "What?" She asked appearing in the doorway.

"I...what if I mess up? What if I do or say something wrong? Oh my gods, I don't even know what I'm supposed to say!"She shrieked, shaking Reyna's shoulders. "Why did I agree to this? I'm a mess. I might as well call Jason and tell him I'm not coming."

Reyna stayed silent for a few moments. "This Jason boy. It is clear you like him. Love him even. This is a lame excuse for not being on a date, so go and make him wish it was."

Confused, Piper cocked her head. "What? I don't get it."

"Make him chase you. Go and act like...the perfect person and see if he comes running after you."

Piper nodded, finally understanding. "Put him to the test." Reyna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like I haven't thought of that idea. Oh wait, I have." Oh her way out, she muttered under her breath, "I don't know why you're asking _me_ about love advice."

Piper laughed. That was true. Reyna was the last person in the world to ask about love advice. Sure, she could have asked Her sister Silena, the love expert, but she would have blown this way out of proportion. If Piper was correct, her sister would suggest 'being sexy' and forcing Piper to wear a mini dress in the freezing cold.

And besides. Reyna was more knowledgeable than she let on. She was pretty sure her sister would never have given the great advice Reyna had.

Slipping on her jacket, Piper stared at herself in the mirror.

"Time to go put him to the test..."

"Stop stalling and just freaking go, McLean! You're way past fashionably late!" Reyna called. Piper rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Dude, relax. Piper is not going to abandon you."

Jason stopped pacing and stared at Leo. "How do you know? Calypso's not here either! Maybe they both bailed on us to go out with some other guys!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Apparently you like Pipes way more than I thought. Chill, dude. She just texted me and said she's coming. It's Calypso I'm worried about." He bit his lip. Jason thought this was the wrong time to mention how in love Leo was with Calypso. He could tell that every second Calypso wasn't here was killing Leo.

"Actually, we're right here. We thought it'd be funny to watch you guys freak out." Calypso giggled. Piper stood behind Calypso, biting her lip. She wore an over-sized gray sweatshirt, boots, and leggings. Like Calypso, Piper's hair was braided into a side braid. The only difference was that she had a long blue feather.

Leo enveloped her in a hug. Over Leo's shoulder, Piper sent a grateful glance towards Calypso. What was that about?

Leo and Calypso were hugging long enough to make Jason and Piper feel awkward. He stared at her while she looked down and blushed, a sheepish smile on her face. Finally unable to take it anymore, Jason interrupted Leo and Calypso. "Um, guys? I know you're on a date and all, but shouldn't we actually go _inside_?"

Leo rolled his eyes. Taking Calypso's hand, he rushed into the ice rink, grinning like a little kid. Piper watched on with a bemused expression. He held his arm out to her. She smiled and linked her arm through his.

"You know, I'm glad you came on this not-date with me. It would have totally been awkward if I tagged along on their date all alone."

Piper's face fell for a second, but she quickly replaced it with a smile. "I had nothing better to do. It beats staying home watching Netflix."

Okay, that hurt. A lot. He practically walked in on that one, basically saying Piper was his resort. He winced. He didn't mean to say it like that. "Piper, I didn-"

"No worries," she assured, looking ahead. He let the subject drop. The tension between them was palpable. Not even five minutes into the not-date and Jason had managed to mes everything up. New record.

They watched a Calypso and Leo get onto the ice. Leo kept stumbling, grabbing for the rails. While Leo was having a hard time, Calypso glided with ease, circling around him and trying not to laugh.

After he finished lacing up his skates, he helped Piper. "I bet I'm faster than you." she dared, getting onto the ice. "Really McLean? You're so on. I bet I can go around this rink five times before you finish up your first round."

She raised an eyebrow. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

"Go around five times. Loser treats the winner to dinner after this." She smiled. "You're so on, Grace."

The second Jason stepped foot on the ice, Piper shoved him to the ground, taking off. "No fair!" he called after her, getting up. He waited untill she was halfway to start, picking up speed by the second. It was dangerous, but there was no risk. There were barely anyone on the ice, probably because it was a week day.

By his third lap around, Piper was on her fourth, already bragging. "Jason, look out!" At the sharp turn, Jason was unable to stop. He collided with the wall before he could change course. He tumbled over himself, face planting on the ground.

He groaned and sat up. His hand had been split open by his skate and his cheek was scratched up from coming in contact with the rough ice.

Piper skated up to him, trying not to laugh. "Are you alright?"

Jason nodded. Piper started shaking her head. "See Jason, I told you you shouldn't be going that fast. Look what happens when you're not paying attention." She gave him a teasing smile. "Anyways, I won!"

He stood up, having difficulty regaining balance. Piper put a hand on his arm to steady him. "Did not! I got injured!" he winced as he touched the palm of his hand. She rolled her eyes. "I still went around a full five times. Admit it, I won."

"By default. Therefore, you're neither a winner nor a loser. So we both split the dinner."

She patted her pockets. "Yeah, about that...I didn't bring any money. Looks like I am a winner after all."

"Fine, I'll pay, but you owe me."

"Or we can just dine and dash?" She suggested, grinning. "Works for me"

Calypso skated up to them, a panicked look on her face. She tugged Piper and Jason's arms, dragging them across the ice. "What's wrong, Calypso?" Piper asked, worry in her tone. "Um...Leo might have gotten himself in situation."

"LEO!" Jason yelled. He shook his head and face palmed. The bathroom was in flames. "Who even brings lighter to an _ice skating rink_?" Leo sheepishly shrugged. "I do." He pointed to himself. "Pyromaniac. Duh."

Piper sighed. "What have told you bout setting things on fire, Valdez?" He shrugged. Leo did not look anywhere near ashamed. In fact, he looked a little excited as he watched the flames grow bigger and brighter. His hands were bright red from getting burned and his face and clothes were blackened. "I regret nothing." He grinned.

* * *

** Piper's Pov**

Piper knew she should have checked Leo before entering the building.

Now they were surrounded by flames, being threatened by a police officer. Oh, the joys of being anywhere _near_ Leo Valdez. She hit him on the back of his head. "How many times have I told you not to play with lighters?!" She yelled.

Looking over at Calypso, Piper expected the girl to be totally freaked out. But it was completely opposite. She had matching expression of Leo's; excited and captivated by the flames.

Seeing, Piper staring at her, Calypso grinned. "I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie. I never used to get out a lot when I was younger."

"You!" they all turned and saw another man standing at the other end of the crumbling room. They were surrounded by fire and police officers. As if voicing Piper's thoughts, Jason punched Leo in the arm. "Nice job, Valdez."

"Are you the cause of this?" The offcer yelled, narrowly avoiding getting hit with a piece of fallen tile.

Piper stepped forward, batting her eyes. "No, sir. We saw the flames and tried to help. We're very sorry, Mr," she glanced at his name tag, "John. Please don't arrest us." The police officer's eyes clouded over. As if being controlled, he nodded. "No worries. You're not in trouble." She smiled gratefully.

Honestly, Piper was disgusted with herself and the man. Her mother had taught her long time go how to use her looks and charm to control people, but she always thought it was sexist. Look who's the hypocrite now.

The other officer, who had been glaring at all of them, hit his partner in the head. "No, you idiot! That boy did it!" he pointed to Leo, who was still holding his golden lighter. Piper groaned internally. Why couldn't they have run away when they had the chance?

Jason nudged Piper. When she glanced back at him, he tilted his head towards the direction of the fallen wall. An escape!

She nodded. "You go, I'll distract them." Before Jason could argue, she shoved him towards the window. "Just shut up and go!"

Reluctantly, He turned and ran toward the wall, which was surrounded by flames. Leo and Calypso followed his lead. Jason helped both of them through the collapsed wall.

Officer John shoved her out of the way and ran towards the hole in the wall. She fell to the ground, tripping over a metal rafter. This would be easier than she thought. She cried out, dramatically clutching her leg. She felt something warm and sticky slide down her neck. Choking on the smoke, she called out to the two men who were trying to arrest Jason.

"I won't press charges if you let us go." Considering he had shoved her to the ground and caused her to hurt herself, it technically counted as police brutality. They both stared at her. "You wouldn't," one of them growled.

"Try me. My mother is _the_ Aphrodite Olympia."

John turned to his partner with a wild look. "Oh shit, Marcus. I knew she looked familiar!" Piper got to her feet, remembering to pretend to be in pain. Despite the fact her ankle was actually broken, she could barely feel a thing.

She now heard voices from being the door blocked by rubble, along with sirens. "Make your choice."

"Go," John yelled, pushing her. As fast as she could with a broken ankle, Piper ran to Jason, who was waiting for her. She sat with one leg out the hole in the wall, staring down at the 6 foot drop. Jason grabbed her waist and jumped, trying to absorb most of the fall.

This did not work.

Piper landed on her injured ankle, feeling the bone completely shattered. She bit her lip to muffle a scream, drawing blood. Jason picked her up. "C'mon!" He started running.

* * *

Several blocks later, Jason finally stopped, gently setting Piper on the curb. It was dark out, and they didn't seem to be in the best of neighborhoods.

"Before you ask, I have no idea where we are. And quite frankly, I don't care." He sat next to her on the ground.

"Piper, what you did back there...that was pretty brave."

She looked away, still feeling disgusted with herself. "Brave? All I did was flirt with an old guy, blackmail a couple of cops, and use my mother's name to get what I wanted." Jason shook his head. "You did what you had to. And there's nothing wrong with using your mother's name to get out of a problem every once in a while. Especially if it means not getting arrested."

"I don't want my mother's help," she snapped. Her tone softened. "Why do you think I haven't left to work with her already? I want to do things on my own and not let my mother's fame get in my way."

"Please...let's not talk about this right now." She took Jason's hand.. "That was a pretty awesome not-date. Actually, the best I've ever been on. Though, something tells me we aren't going to grab a bite?" Jason smiled. "Why not? This is perfect dinner attire," he gestured to his clothes. She laughed.

"You know, even if the not-date was a bust, it doesn't have to be horrible." Jason said, blushing. Piper cocked her head. "I don't get it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well- you know- I- can- you-" he stammered, his turning scarlet.

Staring at Jason with red cheeks, burned clothes, singed hair, and soot-stained face, Piper fell in love with him all over gain. Yes, that was super corny, but that's what Jason does to her. He makes her into a completely different person. She hated and loved it at the same time.

"Jason...shut up." He blinked, then nodded. She took his face in her hands and leaned. "Jason Grace, I know you already know this, but I'm totally in love with you. I've never stopped."

For a few seconds Jason was surprised, but eventually started kissing back, melting into the kiss.

This kiss was unlike any other they had shared. This one was way past mid-blowing. Jason and Piper were sharing the perfect kiss, bloody and soot-stained, sitting in a dangerous alley, rats scurrying past their feet. But they didn't care. All that mattered was that they had each other.

"Platonic?" He asked, panting heavily. "Of course," She answered, pulling him back into the kiss.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I kind of took a while updating- at least, for my standards- and I'm sorry about that. The reason is, I jut posted a new story, so it's going to be hard alternating between updating them. So...yeah, sorry about that.**

**21 is awesome: I was watching Tangled with my lil sis when I was writing the last chapter, so I guess I accidentally wrote that part. Glad you noticed! And, yes, Piper and Jason are kind of like friends with benefits, but it's complicated.**

**Rate and review**

**~greekfreak302**


	14. in good hands

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**Warning: This chapter may or may not have BoO spoilers.**

* * *

When Jason pulled back his hands were bloody. He stared at them in alarm, and then back at Piper. "You're bleeding," he said, searching Piper's head. She swatted his hands. "I'm fine, Jason." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again, but he pulled back. She pouted and crossed her arms.

Although she claimed she was fine, Piper's eye lids kept closing and her head lulled. He quickly stood up. "Piper, you're not fine, you're hurt."

Despite her protests, Jason picked her up. "We need to get you to a hospital. Dammit, where are we?" He looked around. Piper rolled her eyes, staring up at him with a smiled. "You look _sooo_ hot when you're worried."

Looking down at Piper, Jason was tempted to kiss her. _Blood loss_, he reminded himself._ She's delirious. _Piper would never say something like that. Would she?

"Take me to the café," she murmured, cuddling up into his chest. He nodded and started running. "Why are we going to the café?" He finally asked. He got no answer. Looking down, he saw Piper was sleeping peacefully, or so he hoped. "A few more minutes Pipes," he muttered.

Turning left, Jason noticed that this street looked familiar. They were only a few blocks from the café. No one looked at him weird. No, a soot-stained boy with ratty clothes running with a bloody unconscious girl? Just your average day in Manhattan.

The door was locked. He tried the back door, which was left open. Thank the gods it was a late closing day.

As soon as he stepped through the door, he was met with a knife to the throat. "Woah, relax there, Nico. It's just me." Reluctantly, Nico put the knife on a counter and stepped aside. "What's wrong with her?" He asked so quietly Jason doubted he'd heard Nico say anything at all.

"Fire." He answered, walking to the Rec room.

"Leo?" Nico asked, walking behind Jason. He nodded.

Entering the Rec room, Jason set Piper on the ping-pong table, bile rising up in his throat. Now was not the time to start remembering what had happened on this table. Ew.

Piper's eyes fluttered, the only sign of life Jason's seen since she went unconscious. That was a good thing, right? He sat on a box next to Piper. Where was Leo and Calypso? Had they managed to escape? Or were they arrested?

Moment later, Nico reappeared with Will Solace by his side.

Will looked over Piper, then Jason. He raised an eyebrow. "Should I even ask? I normally don't even bother." Jason blinked in surprise. "This happens normally?" Will shrugged. " Every once and while we all get in trouble. Most of the time it's life-or death situations."

* * *

After being shooed out of the room by Will, Nico and Jason stood outside the Rec room door.

"Why are you here, Nico? I thought it was Will's day for closing." Jason asked, leaning on the sink. Nico shrugged, cheeks tinted pink. "We were...hanging out." Jason raised an eyebrow. "'Hanging out'? Let me guess, you're like, 'just friends', right?"

Nico's face turned scarlet and he glared at Jason. "I take it you're totally in love with this guy, aren't you Neeks?" Nico's glare confirmed his prediction. "C'mon, don't be mad. You were staring at him like he was some god. You _ loooove_ him," he taunted, laughing.

Nico roughly put his hand on Jason's mouth. "These walls are pretty thin. He could hear you!" Nico dragged Jason out the back door, into the alley.

He sat on the ground, burying his face in his hands, raven hair blocking Nico's eyes from sight. "Was it that obvious that I'm...?" Nico asked, his voice muffled by his hands. Jason sat down next to his younger cousin, patting his back. He hadn't known Nico for long, but he already felt like he had a little brother. It was still kind of hard to comprehend that he had a whole line of long-lost family.

"You might as well have been running around in a rainbow dress wearing a pink sign saying 'I'M GAY' with a unicorn sticker," He snickered at the ridiculous image. Okay, Jason was totally being insensitive, but he couldn't help it. Nico made a small squeak and buried his face deeper into his arms. "I'm so embarrassed. How can a stranger come around and state the obvious but everyone's too oblivious to notice?"

"So...I take it no one knows yet?" Nico glared. "No one but you. And possibly Will."

"Chill, Nico, the world isn't going to end. I'm pretty sure he already knows," judging by the groan from Nico, Jason knew he wasn't helping. "If he was weirded out about it, I'm pretty sure he would've said something by now. No one's going to give you a hard time. If they do, they'll have to answer to me. You have my support."

Nico's shoulders relaxed. "So...did Valdez get arrested?" He asked, changing the subject. Jason hook his head. "No. At least, I don't think so. If the police didn't get him, I'm gonna kick his ass."

A ghost of a smile settled on Nico's face. "He is rather stupid...let me get the first hit. He owes me fifty bucks." Jason laughed.

"Yeah, he-" Jason stopped abruptly, looking around. "Did you hear that?" Jason whispered. But Nico was already on his feet, staring at the building adjacent to them. "Over there," He pointed. Jason stood up too, on high alert.

"I think-" Nico stopped mid-sentence, grunting in pain. Turning Nico around, Jason saw that there was a long metal arrow embedded in his forearm. "What the hell? There's a freaking arrow in your arm!" Jason had no idea what to do. Nico gritted his teeth, pulling it out. Blood seeped out of the wound.

Nico managed a few words. "Shut the hell up." He pointed to a cloaked figure at the other end of the alley. Jason remained where he was, standing still. The figures multiplied by the second. Each one slowly walked towards them, gracefully leaping or flipping. Jason felt like he was watching some horror circus show. It was awe-inspiring and intimidating at the same time.

He heard a sickening thunk. Pain exploded between his eyes and he fell to his knees. Turning his head slightly, he saw there was huge arrow in his shoulder, half of the shaft buried. The sharp head went all the way through, poking through the front of his shirt.

Jason's eyes widened when he saw there were more of the dark figures behind them.

All of them ran forwards at once, not giving Nico or Jason a chance to escape. Both their heads were hooded. He fought his hardest, trying to escape his captures. His hands were bound behind his back.

"Jason, think I know who-" Nico's voice faded off as something hard hit his head.

"Don't worry," A feminine voice said. "You're in good hands now."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys! This chapter was originally longer, but I decided to cut it half and make two chapters!**

**Was it too short?**

**I have question for you all: How do you think about meeting some of the other Olympians? Piper's mom? Or her dad? Write your opinion in your review^-^**

**Oh, and those gay comments Jason was making- I didn't mean to offend anyone, if I did.**

**Bye!**

**~greekfreak302**


	15. Gone

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**Warning: This chapter may or may not have BoO spoilers.**

* * *

"Wake up!" He felt stinging pain across his cheek.

Groaning, Jason opened his eyes. Thalia stood above him, grinning brightly. "Hello, brother of mine. It took us nearly an hour longer to wake you up than Nico." She gestured to the one side of the small room, where Nico was rubbing his arm, a venomous look in his eyes.

"Oh, stop being so grouchy, Nico, I told you I was sorry." Thalia said, rolling her eyes. "We were shot with arrows and abducted! Jason was hit in the head with a brick and I was almost suffocated! I think I have a reason to be mad, Thalia!"

That explained Jason's pounding headache. His skull felt like it was imploding. "Wait. _You_ did this?"

Thalia shrugged, fingering her knife. "Well...technically, no."

"Just explain!" Nico snapped, glaring at Thalia. She sighed. "Fine. My Hunters did it. We like to do things in the old fashioned ways; arrows, knives, etc. I guess they found out I've been around boys. Even if those boys are _related to me_, they won't listen." She sighed exasperatedly. "Well, Nico's confession did lighten their attack." She smiled at Nico, who flipped her off in return.

"So...we were targeted by your gang. They attacked-"

"-And tried to kill us!" Nico interrupted. Jason continued, "-and brought us to...where are we?"

Though they were in some type of storage closet, through the open door, Jason could see a dark spacious room. "Headquarters. Our location is classified. But, I can tell you we're in an abandoned warehouse." Thalia released him from the chair he was tied to.

"I thought your gang hates boys?" Jason asked. Nico laughed sardonically. "Why do you think they tried to kill us? We were bound for a reason. Now we're on lockdown, or something." Thalia sighed, turning to him with her hands on her hip. "Must you be difficult, baby cousin? I am a gang leader; I could slit your throat in a second. Cooperate. I am trying to help you."

Jason could tell Nico was trying his hardest to bite back a retort. "Who was that girl who hit me in the head? She said I was 'in good hands'?" Thalia laughed. "That was Phoebe. She doesn't take kindly to boys corrupting our species, so she took the honors of bashing your head in."

"Species? Seriously? Your stupid gang of little girls act like you're so much higher than everyone else. Well, news flash: your not." Nico said, face red with anger.

"Nico," Thalia said, hint of warning in her tone. Nico continued."Well you know what? You and your little gang could go and fuck yourselves."

Within a second, Thalia had Nico backed up against the wall, a silver hunting knife at his throat. But he didn't look scared in the least. In fact, his obsidian eyes glowed with pure hatred. "Would you like to say that again?" Thalia asked, pressing the knife deeper. A thin line of blood slid down his throat.

Jason watched the exchange with uneasiness and tension. What was Nico's problem? It didn't seem like he had an issue with Thalia, but he seemed to hold resentment against the Hunters. It was easy to see Thalia didn't want to hurt Nico, but she was defending her girls. Her new family...

Nico spat in her face. "I'm not afraid. Go ahead. Do it. I'm sure you and your gang of goddesses would love to hurt someone of the 'opposite species.'"

In a blur, Thalia's other hand grabbed another knife from under her shirt and shoved it into Nico's arrow wound, twisting it. He barely flinched. Jason ran to the two, shoving Thalia away before Nico could retaliate.

Mid throw, Thalia stopped, holding the knife at the base of Jason's neck. "Move," She ordered.

"No. You guys are going too far. Nico, you may have your issues with Thalia's gang, but we're on their home court. Don't disrespect. And Thalia, I know you're just defending you girls, but _Nico_ is your family. They come second."

Thalia slowly dropped her hand. She started pacing, biting her lip. "They really want to kill you."

"Ditto," Nico muttered. Jason threw a warning glance over his shoulder. "Dude, cool it." Jason turned back to Thalia. "Why didn't they kill us?" Thalia stopped pacing and stared at him as if he were mad. "Do you seriously even have to ask that question, Jason? I would never let them kill you. You- _you guys-_ are all I have left."

"I don't see them attacking Percy." Before Jason could tell Nico to shut up, the boy held his hands up in surrender. He returned his attention back to Thalia. "What I meant to ask, Thals, is why now? Why bring us here?"

She stood straighter, contrite written on her features. He realized with dread that whatever news she had to share, it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

The raven haired girl's lip curled in disgust as Jason and Nico approached. The other one looked Jason up and down.

"Thalia, you know we are not supposed to bring boys into our territory." Thalia sighed. "Don't you think I know that, Celyn? Naomi, open the door. Let me see Artemis." The two girls guarding the door exchanged a glance. "She's not here."

"What?" Thalia asked, obviously losing patience. "Artemis isn't here. She said she had to go back for 'business'. I think she said the guy's name was Doctor Thorne." The other girl said.

Nico's fists clenched. Thalia discretely put a hand on his uninjured arm. He slowly relaxed.

_Who's doctor Thorne?_

"Did she at least say anything about our current 'situation'?" Thalia asked. The one Thalia called Naomi answered. "Um...yes. She wrote a note, but it's hard to understand. Actually, there's only one line."

"Thalia, why did you bring us here?" Jason asked, beyond confused. Both girls crossed their arms. "Yea, Thalia, please enlighten us on why you brought those _boys_ here. You know she isn't going to be happy."

"Just give me the letter and get back on duty," Thalia snapped. Grumbling, Celyn grabbed a piece of folded paper out of her back pocket and handed it to Thalia.

"'_The one who you seek is gone.'_" Nico read aloud once they returned to the storage closet. Thalia hit the wall. "What the hell do you mean she's gone?! Gods, I should have made them watch her!" She roughly ran a hand through her hair. She continued pacing, fingering her knife.

"Thalia, relax," Jason said, standing in front of his sister. He held her shoulders to prevent her from pacing. "We'll find her. You have sources."

"Um, who is 'her'?" Nico asked. "And, why am I here if this is obviously personal matters?" Thalia smiled despite her anger. "We're talking about our mom. And, you were just with the wrong person at the wrong place and time. It was kind of a bonus for them."

"Great," Nico crossed his arms.

"Wait," Thalia said slowly. "we could ask our half-brother..." She seemed deep in thought. How many half-siblings did they have?"Apollo might know where she is."

He knitted his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Besides music, he's the Olympian of medicine. He should know about mental institutions and their inhabitants...right?" Both of them knew it was a weak lead, but it was all they had.

"Wait," Nico said. Both siblings turned towards Nico. "So you're saying we were kidnapped and beaten for no reason? Are you freaking kidding me? Fuck my life."

* * *

**A/N**

**4,000 views!*Dies* 29 reviews! Thank you all so much.! I love every one of you viewers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers.**

**Um, yes, Nico was a little sassy in this chapter. #Nicosaysno! ****This chapter did not turn out like I wanted it to, but I guess it's alright. I wanted to update ASAP. So...here you go!**

**Rate and review**

**~greekfreak302**


	16. Questions

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**Warning: This chapter may or may not have BoO spoilers.**

* * *

"600th floor, please."

The guy behind the desk looked up from him comic book, apathetically staring up at them. "There's no 600th floor. We go through this everyday." he said in a monotone. Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Nico cut him off with a growl. He grabbed the guy's collar and held a pocket knife to his neck.

"Cut the crap, Griffin. Give us the key." The guy named Griffin still looked uninterested. He glanced down at the knife, then looked back at Nico. "Is that supposed to scare me?" They were lucky the lobby was empty, or else there would have been trouble.

Percy sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his forehead. "We need to see one of the Olympians and you're holding us back from an important message. We-" Nico grabbed the back of the guy's head and smashed it into the marble desk.

Percy and Jason gaped at the younger boy. He shrugged. "What? He was getting on my nerves. I mean, he knows both of us. Now that I think about it, he probably didn't give us the key because he didn't know Jason. Oops." He didn't seem too sorry. Nico walked around the desk and grabbed the key, making a wide ark around the slumped body.

"What's the 600th floor?" Jason asked once they boarded the elevator. Percy took the key card from Nico and put it in a metal slot. He could have sworn it wasn't there before. It was almost like it magically appeared.

"Olympus Industries has great influence over most of America, but most of its branches are illegal. The FBI's looking for us, but I'm sure they're not trying their hardest. Most of the stuff we do is kept classified. So our main location, where 'Olympus' is, is obscured from the world. Only a handful of non-Olympian related people know where we are." Percy explained.

The ride to the '600th floor' seemed to take forever. The elevator music was killing him; if he didn't get off this elevator, he was going to kill himself. Looking over at the boys, Jason was relieved he wasn't alone. Percy was hitting the back of his head on the elevator wall, muttering 'kill me now' and Nico looked as if it were physically paining him. He held back a laugh.

Finally, the elevator dinged and all three boys spilled out of the elevator, relieved to get off the moving metal box of torture.

When Jason looked up, his jaw dropped. Percy laughed, closing his mouth. "There's a reason we call it Olympus."

Jason looked around, trying not to freak out. He was having a hard time taking it all in. "This place is huge," He finally managed, ripping his eyes away. "How is it possible to even...? The Empire State building- but- this..." he took a deep breath, trying to regaining his composure. Nico and Percy watched on, matching bemused expressions on their faces.

Nico, sparing Jason, explained. "We don't question it. Our parents are so rich they can almost do anything. We call it magic, they call it technology. We don't understand it either, so there's no point asking."

Jason slowly nodded. People- wearing a range of expensive suits to jeans- were milling around, minding their own business, either discussing business or selling things. He realized that it was sort of like a village in paradise.

Percy pushed Jason in the direction of the big double doors. "C'mon. We need to find Apollo." Nico stopped Percy. "I don't think that's a good idea. Zeus hates you. He doesn't fancy me either."

They both stared at Jason. "What?" He asked. Percy rolled his eyes. "Dude, I know _I'm_ slow, but you're _way_ slower. Catch up."

Nico sighed. "What he's trying to say is that Zeus is your dad. He probably won't mind you interrupting your meeting and stealing a council member. Apollo's probably the least powerful Olympian. They won't need him."

Percy shook his head. "Apollo is one of the most powerful. Dionysus is the least." Jason blinked. Dionysus is an Olympian? As if reading his thoughts, Percy nodded. "Dionysus is an Olympian. Theater and liquor," he shook his head. "He was punished by Zeus, so now he's the manager of the café. Think he's got about 5 years left. He's always so drunk, I bet he doesn't even remember his own name."

Nico punched Percy. "Dionysus is the Olympian of partying and alcohol. That's pretty friggin' awesome."

"He's a lazy fatass who cost another Olympian their position."

"Are you still hung up about Hestia? She doesn't hold any grudges-"

"-Guys!" Jason interrupted. From information he gathered, The children of the Olympians don't usually get along well. Especially the children of The Big Three- Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus, the main owners of Olympus. They'd fight offer everything and nothing. He'd even heard that Thalia once electrocuted Percy over a game. And he almost drowned her.

Annabeth had advised him it was wise not to fight with any other children of the Big Three because they all had a competitive side. They wont quit until the other caves. Jason was ashamed to admit that he'd gotten into a spat with Percy over who could kill who. He tried to be the mediator- most of the time didn't work, but it never hurt to try.

"Now is not the time to argue about who is the least powerful. We need to get Apollo."

"Why are we doing this anyways?" Percy asked, rubbing his arm where Nico had punched him. "I love family reunions as much as the next guy, but why's this so important?" Jason turned to Percy. "I already told you. I am going to find my mother."

"Going up to Zeus and asking him about Beryl is suicide. Son or not." Percy said. "So why did you bring me up here?" Jason snapped. Percy blinked. "I...I don't know. I mean, it doesn't hurt to try, but there' a 30% chance you'll find her."

"Aren't you Mr. Optimistic" Nico muttered. Percy glared at their younger cousin. "Says Mr. Pessimistic."

Nico scoffed. "That wasn't even clever."

"So? I-"

"Guys," Jason said, losing patience. "Percy, no one's forcing you to help me. I'm asking you as family."

Nico nodded. "I'm in. You don't know what it's like to grow up without family, Jackson. Jason was raised by a psycho, I was raised with a dad frowning upon my every move, Thalia never had parents since the beginning , and Hazel's mother was crazy. But you? You're the only child of the Big Three who was raised perfectly. Your dad wasn't always around, but he always knew you were there. Your mother protected you no matter what."

Percy slowly nodded, giving Jason an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, bro. I would never to be able to live without my mom. I've met Juno once before. She's almost as crazy as the wife he has now. I'll help you."

* * *

"Hello, little bro." Apollo ruffled Jason's hair. Jason swatted his hands away. "Still weird," Jason said.

"Let's cut to the chase; you might have information that Jason needs." Nico said. "Hello little cousin. Blunt as always." Apollo grinned.

"Please, Apollo. I need to see my mother."

He sighed, nodding slowly. "I'll get back to you." He turned to walked back into the conference room, but Jason stopped him. "What? That's it?" Apollo knitted his eyebrows. "What do you mean that's it? Be lucky I am helping you."

"We can get help from somewhere else." Percy said, crossing his arms.

"I don't think so," Apollo said, wagging a finger. "What?" Jason asked, confused. "Are you stupid? Artemis is a top-notch hunter. If she couldn't find your mother, no one else possibly could. I can tell you what institution she lived in, giving you a lead, but there's no guarantee to finding her."

"Why are you being such an asshole, Apollo?" Percy asked. Apollo glared at Percy. "Have I not helped you when you went searching for my twin sister? Straight into enemy territories? Dad severely punished me. He already likes Artemis more than me. I do not want to be on his hit list because I helped him find your mother, Jason. He forbid us from even speaking her name." He poked Percy in the chest. "So don't come at me asking why I'm not helping, because, trust me, I am risking a lot for you to find your mother."

Jason nodded. "Thank you, Apollo."

He nodded. "I know what it's like. Wanting to find your mother."

"What happened to your mother?" Jason asked. Nico and Percy both gave him looks as if that was the wrong question to ask, but his older half-brother just chuckled. "Juno is nowhere near as crazy as Hera. Let's leave it as that."

* * *

"I feel like my brain is going to explode." Jason groaned, sitting in the booth. Piper sympathetically smiled at him, her hand brushing against his.

"I heard that's not good for you," Percy said. "Most of the time you die." He sipped his Coca Cola and making a face. Jason rolled his eyes. Percy had demanded the waitress of the diner to give him a blue coke. The poor girl repeatedly said she didn't know what that was. Percy had gotten in an argument, yelling at the manager. That ended up in them almost getting kicked out, but thankfully Rachel showed her ID.

Now, instead of treating them like normal customers, they were treated like royalty. Other customers stared at them in awe, while the staff flocked around them, asking if they needed anything.

"Why'd you have to tell them you were a Dare?" Nico grumbled, glaring at everyone.

"It's better than telling them who you four were. They would have treated us like freaking gods." She said, pointing a fry at Nico from across the table.

"Our parents might as well be! They're fucking zillionaires who are higher than everyone else! They rule everything!" Percy said, shaking his head.

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I never found that letter,"Jason said quietly. Distractedly he dragged his fry though the ketchup. They all stopped bickering and stared at Jason.

Piper put a hand on his shoulder. "Jason, your life would have been hell. You would never see the truth. You wouldn't have a reason to leave. Would you really want to stay with her?"

"Um..should we leave? This sounds kind of personal." Percy said, uneasy.

Jason shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that, Pipes. I just...life would be so much easier. I never liked Juno- I would have surely moved out, going to New York or not. I wouldn't have known about my mother, wouldn't have had to deal with all of this..."

Piper recoiled as if Jason had slapped her. "So you regret all of this? Meeting all of us...me...?"

"What? I - no, Piper. That isn't not what I meant."

"What did you mean, Jason? You can't say that all you cared about was finding your mother. What if you don't find her? Will you leave us? That would make you better than your mother. She_ gave you away_, Jason. Why are you still trying to find her?"

Piper stood up, grabbing her crutches and exiting the old diner.

Jason ran his hands through his hair. Piper had asked questions he'd never asked himself before.

Why was it so important that he found his mother?

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hello! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I'm happy that my chapters are getting longer. **

**This story was originally going to have 16 chapters, but I decided to drag it out and add more details. How am I doing?**

**Rate and review.**

**~greekfreak302**


	17. Support

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**Warning: This chapter may or may not have BoO spoilers.**

* * *

"How's it going?"

Startled, Jason looked up from his laptop. Turning on the lamp, Jason sighed in relief. It was only Thalia, wearing A Green Day t-shirt, jeans, and a bow and quiver on her back. Even if Thalia came around more often, it was still a surprise to see her without a hood and shades. She sat next to him on the sofa.

"Thalia? What are you-wait, how did you even get in here?" As far as Jason knew, he was alone in the huge apartment. Why Thalia decided to bring Jason a visit at 4:30 was a mystery to him. She hugged him. When they pulled back, she rolled her eyes. "You can't be a gang leader without knowing how to open locks, Jason. You should really upgrade the locks, though."

"What are you doing here?"

"And I thought someone would be glad to see his sister again. Not naming names. Jason."

"Thalia, I saw you on Monday." he said, turning to face her. She rolled her eyes. "Yes, and today's Thursday. Is it so bad to want to see my baby bro? Especially after 16 years?" He shook his head. "Are you seriously going to keep that up? It's not my fault I was practically abducted."

"Yeah...I know. It was_ her_ fault." He sighed, not wanting to talk about this. When her eyes landed on his laptop screen, her face darkened. "Jason," she warned. He pushed the laptop off his lap, blocking it from her line of vision.

"So you're really going to do it? You're going to try to find our mother?" Thalia asked, staring off into space. He ran a hand through his hair. "I...yeah. I need answers, Thals. I've heard one side of the story, but what about the other? I need to know."

"I knew my hunters wouldn't be able to find her. But I sent them anyways. What are you saying, Jason? We're not enough? Why do you need to follow some addict all around the goddamned country? Why can't you go up to Olympus and ask our fucking father?!He's the reason you were sold in the first place!" Thalia's face was flushed in anger and her eyes were crackling.

His lips parted in shock. Automatically catching her mistake, Thalia put a hand over her mouth."I didnt mean to-"

He stood up. "What?"

"Our parents are fucked up people, that's all the explanation you need to know." She stood up to leave, but Jason grabbed her arm tightly. She glanced at his hand, then met his eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about," he demanded. She swallowed. Whenever he'd get mad, his eyes normally would grow darker and fiercer. He couldn't imagine what the looked like now; he was furious. "Explain."

She sighed, glancing at the window, then sitting back down. "85% of Olympus's problems are because Zeus couldn't keep his thing to himself. Also the fact the he had two wives, both of which are insane."

He sat down again, hanging onto every word leaving Thalia's mouth. "Isn't bigamy illegal?"

She nodded slowly. "As you might already know, Olympians have their way of escaping the law. Anyways, Juno wasn't happy about sharing her husband with another woman. Hera already had," Thalia started counting off her fingers. She then shook her head, looking disgusted. "Too many children. Zeus wanted more heirs to the throne. Hera was the perfect wife, so Zeus expected more from Juno. Juno couldn't...produce any children, so he cheated. It's as simple as that."

_He was getting impatient, and she could not provide._

"It can't be as simple as that. You're keeping something from me." he accused.

She was about to protest, but thought better about it. "The second you were born, you were promised to Juno."

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sorry, Jason. that's all I know. I can't go up and ask our dad, but you can." She stood up . This time, Jason let her leave.

He had always assumed that it was Juno's fault for blackmailing his mother. It never occurred to him that she might have had a reason. He never really cared about meeting his father, but right now he wanted to go to Olympus and slap the sense into him. He still didn't know what Thalia meant by being promised to Juno, but he was sure as hell going to find out.

* * *

"Hey," Jason said.

Piper continued counting change. "Hello." she finally said. "I'm not mad, if that's what you were going to say." he hook his head, leaning on the counter. "I'm not mad." he put his hands in his pockets. "In fact, I'm glad you left."

Hurt, Piper glanced up at him. "What?"

He smiled. "I'm kidding." He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. She smiled into his chest. "I'm really not mad, though. I just thought you should face reality. Searching for your mother is all or nothing. I just don't want you getting hurt risking the chance."

His smile faded. That hurt. A lot. The two most important girls in his life thinks he should stop trying to find his mother. Isn't their job to be supportive? Jason could take care of himself; he didn't need their 'protection'.

"Piper, I need answers. I know, she's probably a horrible person, and I promise you that you can say 'I told you so' if this all doesn't work out. But right now, I'm not going to stop trying to get answers. But I'm asking you as a friend, or boyfriend- or whatever we are- that you will support me."

Piper searched his eyes. "Of course. I'm not planning on leaving you, Jason."

"You made me think about what I really wanted the other day, Piper. If I don't find her, if I don't get answers, I'm fine with that. I'm still staying here with you guys. I know what I want. I want you."

A smile broke out on her face. "Jason Grace, have I told you how much I love you?"

He playfully rolled his eyes. "Only a million times." She grabbed his jaw and pulled him down to kiss her.

"Just...promise me one thing," She said.

"Anything," he said. She bit her lip. "Don't let anything get between us. I'm not going to let anything-or anyone- take you away from me again. I love you too much."

"Of course." She pecked him on the lips. "We're still platonic. Now, leave. I have to close today."

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter wasn't nearly as long as I wanted it to be :(. I kind of had writer's block, so...sorry if it's horrible.**

**Things will be happening next chapter. If I feel like it. I might just put in a filler chapter and leave you with a cliff-hanger. But, I will probably update tomorrow. I have whole week off for Thanksgiving XD!**

**And, like the fangirl I am, I will be updating both of my stories this week.**

**Rate and review**

**~greekfreak302**


	18. Finally

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. Therefore I do not own PJO or any of his characters.**

**Warning: This chapter may or may not have BoO spoilers.**

**A/N: Anna, daughter of Athena( Or whatever you would like to be called)- You guessed right on the spot! Dylan will be coming back, but I'm still not really sure when that will happen. Keep reading to find out!**

* * *

A knocking on the door jarred Jason from his thoughts. He looked up, expecting Percy or Annabeth to go answer it. The knocking continued. It was two thirty a.m. Who would be knocking on their door this early in the morning? He had just gotten home; maybe he'd been followed?

Sighing, Jason got up off the couch and opened the door. He blinked. Piper stood in his doorway, playing with a feather in her hair. "Pipes? What are you-"

"My Mom wants to meet you," she interrupted, looking guilty. "What?" He stood aside and let Piper in, closing the door behind her. She sat on the couch, setting her crutches next to her.

"What do you mean?"

"She saw you on Olympus. She wants to meet you." He sat next to her, not understanding why this was such bad news. "And what's so bad about that?" He asked.

"She's going to ruin everything!" Piper yelled, tears filling her eyes. Jason was beyond puzzled. Why was Piper acting like this was devastating news? It's only been a few weeks since Piper finally admitted they were dating. If he had someone to introduce Piper to, he would have done it without hesitation. He wasn't embarrassed of Piper. But was she embarrassed of him?

"What's so bad about having your mother meet me?" Jason asked, slightly offended. Piper put a hand on his arm. He noticed that her second-degree burns were nearly gone. She had only gotten small burns that day, but Jason had gotten his whole back burnt. It was now one giant scar that looks oddly like lightning. He never told Piper because he didn't want her to worry.

"No Jason. Of course not." He knew Piper was embarrassed of her mother, but he never knew to what degree. Piper had told him that, over the years, she eventually accepted that her and her mother would never be on the same page. She loved her mother. So why didn't she want Jason to meet her?"

"I don't want _you_ to meet _her_. My mom...she's...very outspoken. She may think she's helping by giving her opinion, but she's really not. She's the Olympian of beauty and romance and all that, so she can be very meddlesome. I don't want her to not like you and try to kill you or something. But if she does like you, she might keep trying to change you to make you 'better'. I don't want her to chase you away, Jason."

Jason took her hands. "Piper McLean, I already told you; I'm not going anywhere. You're mother can think what she wants about me. It's only your opinion that matters." Piper finally met his eyes and smiled. "Jason Grace, where did I find such a wonderful boyfriend like you?" She kissed him.

"So...you came to tell me this at 2 in the morning?" Piper laughed. "It's been bothering me all day. I'm sorry."

"Already forgotten."

* * *

"C'mon."

Jason turned to Percy, who was smiling as if he knew something Jason didn't. "Huh?"

"Everyone's ditching work today. We all need a break. We're going to Coney Island." Jason set down the dish he was washing. "It's the beginning of December. Why are we going to Coney Island." Percy tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, bouncing up and down with a huge smile on his face. "Okay, one: you've never been to Coney Island. Two: we're not going to the amusement park."

"What? Where are we-" Percy grabbed Jason's collar, pulling him out of the kitchen. Jason hastily wrote a note, removing his apron and followed Percy out of the café.

"That is for you to find out, baby cousin."

* * *

"Glad you made it," Rachel greeted, grinning.

Jason stared at all of them. "You do realize it's freaking _winter_, right?" Jason asked in disbelief. The nine people in front of him were lounging on the sand, some wearing bathing suits.

"Seriously, who goes to the beach in the middle of winter?"

Leo pulled down his shades. "Thank you, Jason, for telling us what season it is. I couldn't tell because of the weather." He offered Jason a soda. Jason took it and sat down, shaking his head. "You're all insane."

Nico snorted. "Glad you finally noticed."

Piper crawled over to him, her cast dragging in the sand. Unlike the rest of the group, Piper was wearing a jacket. She opened his legs and sat between them, snuggling into his chest for warmth. "They dragged me out here too," She whispered, watching Leo continuously poke Nico.

They were in a secluded part of the beach, far away from the boardwalk. There were huge rocks surrounding them, almost looking like teeth. The sun was shining, but it was far from warm. Miles away, he could see hoards of people running into the water. They looked like they were cheering.

Following Jason's gaze, Percy explained, sitting down next to Jason. "That's the Coney Island Polar Bear's Dip. They do it every year. I would have done it this year again, but these pricks outnumbered me this time," He gestured to the group. "They agreed to come with me, but they refused to go into the water."

Frank rolled his eyes. "You ambushed us! None of us wanted to go but you gave us no choice."

Percy dismissively waved a hand. "You have no evidence. And, besides, we're _all_ going into the water."

"What?" Jason asked. "But, I don't-"

"NOW!" Percy yelled, standing and grabbing Jason. Leo snuck up behind Nico and grabbed the boy, throwing him over his shoulder.

Jason was thrown beneath the water. He felt like the freezing water chilled him to the bone. He stood up, coughing up saltwater.

"Leo Valdez, I will fucking murder you! Don't you-" Leo threw Nico into the water.

When the boy came back up, he was fuming. He started cursing them out, even Jason-who was ambushed himself- changing from English to Italian. Leo and Percy were laughing their asses off. Jason cracked a smile. He had to admit, it _was_ kind of funny.

Remembering that Piper couldn't swim with them, Jason turned towards the shore. he expected Piper to be alone. But instead, he saw all the girls - Reyna, Rachel and Annabeth- talking, all staring at the boys in the water and shaking their heads. Jason smiled.

"You know what? I'm done asking questions. You guys are just too crazy to be logical. I'm just going to go with the flow." Percy grinned, clapping Jason on the back. "About time. Welcome to our group."

***_20 minutes later_***

Nico poked Jason, pointing to the shore. Jason turned.

Piper was waving her arms and calling out his name, gesturing to come. Jason nodded, swimming to her.

"What is it?"

Piper held his phone tightly in her hand, lips pursed. "It's Apollo. He called about five times. He said it was about your mother."

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm so sorry I lied to you guys. I know I said I'll update faster this week, but with relatives and Thanksgiving preparations- sorry! But at least I warned you last chapter about the cliffy.**

**I wish I had Kronos's power to control time. Then I'd be able to update all the time. **

**Rate and review**

**~Greekfreak302**


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